Actors Hooked on Fan Fiction
by Erica.K.Bailey
Summary: The Actors of Twilight get Hooked on Twilight Fan Fiction...
1. Chapter 1

Story – if the cast of Twilight got hooked on Twilight Fan Fiction

Yes it is crazy... but I thought it would be fun...

Disclaimer: All Fan Fiction stories belong to the amazing and talented people in this group () – Thank you!

Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Rob & Kristen and the rest of the cast belong to themselves and I hope they don't mind that I am making up a story about them... I suppose there is enough of that in the tabloids that perhaps they are used to it. At least I acknowledge that this is entirely fictional... And I have no idea how to write an English accent, so I'm not even trying.

Chapter 1: Curious

RPOV

"Hey Kristen – they want us on set."

"Sure, I'll be there in a minute."

She sounded distracted, so I peered up into her on-set trailer to see what was up. She was sitting, cross-legged on her sofa, one hand on the keyboard, the other cupping her chin as she stared at her laptop.

"Ah, sorry to interrupt, but what are you doing?"

"Um, nothing."

Did she just do a Bella-blush? I thought that was just me when fans asked embarrassing questions – and Kristen gave embarrassing answers...

She quickly recovered, clicked her lap top shut and jumped up off the sofa. "So – to set... let's go."

Always the consummate professional, Kristen delivered her lines flawlessly. However, while her performance was wonderful, I could see she was preoccupied. In between takes, it was as if her mind was somewhere else. She seemed anxious to be done - which was so unlike her.

"Is anything the matter?" I asked, concerned. After spending so much time filming Twilight and then on promotional tours, I had begun to feel as though we were friends – or at least friendly enough to ask when something was wrong.

She quickly snapped back to the present and looked at me, somewhat embarrassed, "Uh, nothing, I'm fine, really..."

"You seem a little... preoccupied."

"Oh, am I not doing a good job? Am I slipping out of character?"

"No – actually your performance is brilliant. It's just, in between, you're not quite yourself. It's like you're not really here, if you understand my meaning."

"Oh, well, I've just got some stuff on my mind. Nothing major – I'll try to be more present."

"Sure, that's fine. I just wondered if something was the matter."

Just then we were called back to re-shoot – back into Edward I go...

After a gruelling 14 hour day we were done. I was famished and still a little concerned about Kristen. She had tried to make small talk after our earlier exchange, but something was still... off. She didn't kid around and laugh like usual. I thought I should try to see if she was really okay.

"I'm famished. Do you want to get a bite to eat?"

"I think I'll just head back to my room. I'm exhausted." She said as she avoided contact. Why did I have the feeling she wasn't being completely honest?

"Sure.. well then – see you tomorrow."

"Ya." she headed off to her hotel suite.

I glanced around the set. I didn't really want to eat alone at a restaruant - and that inviting a couple of fans thing didn't really work out... But everyone else had split up after we wrapped for the day so I decided to go back to my room and order room service. I searched around for a discarded copy of the Vancouver Sun on set and headed back to the hotel.

For the shoot, we were staying in hotel apartment suites over-looking the ocean. The view was amazing. This really is a beautiful city, I thought as I rode up to my floor – the same floor as much of the main cast. As I got off the elevator and headed to my room, I heard a cackle coming from Kristen's apartment. What was that? I leaned in and it sounded like she was having trouble breathing...

"Kristen" I pounded on the door, "Kristen, all you all right? Do I need to get security?"

I heard loud footsteps coming to the door and stopped in my tracks, momentarily worried that there might be some crazed fan on the other side who had Kristen and was now coming for me. But when the door swung open, all I saw was Kristen. She was dressed in her comfy sweats, but her face was beat red with evidence of tears. Her eyes, though, weren't sad – they flashed with a mixture of humour and embarrassment.

"What is going on, Kristen – are you all right? I thought... well I thought someone had you in there."

I was suddenly uncomfortable for the intrusion. Perhaps she did have someone in there... Perhaps I should quickly excuse myself. But before I could, she gave me a sly grin.

"Sure – I'm great!" Her words burst out as if she was trying to stifle a laugh. This was the Kristen we were missing on set. Now I was as curious as Edward... "Ya, no, it's just me..."

"What is going on with you? Was that laugher I heard?" I was beginning to wonder if she was mental.

She rolled her eyes, "Okay, Rob, come on in... You've got to see this for yourself."

She opened the door wider in invitation as she trotted off to the area she had set up as her office. I shut the door behind me and followed... Her office area was reasonably neat, with carefully stacked piles of script re-writes, a yellow pad with notes, and a few empty water bottles. She toggled the mouse attached to her laptop to clear the automatic screen saver. I looked at the screen to see what she had been laughing at.

"It's some crazy fan site for the Twilight series. People actually write fan fiction and post it here for others to read and comment on. Some of it is pretty funny."

What, I thought, fans writing stories on Twilight? My life really had gone completely mad.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Hooked at First Site

"I can't believe we didn't find this before." I marvelled as Kristen scrolled through the lists of stories written by fans of the series. "This is completely mad."

"I know." Kristen smiled slyly, while she scrolled and clicked on each subsequent page until she found something she was looking for. "Check this out – there's even one about you, umm, as you... yourself... It's, ah, very entertaining."

"What?" I read the description and immediately felt my checks flush red.

"Ah, ya." was her only reply.

"What else is there?" I quickly grabbed the mouse and navigated back to the list. "Anything about you?"

"Not that I've found yet. Actually, you and Edward seem to be the most popular targets, although there are several stories from Bella's 'POV' as they call it – and even some from other characters, like Jasper, Alice, Nessie, Jacob... I think I even saw one from Charlie's."

"So, what were you laughing about when I thought you were being accosted?"

"Oh, there's this one story about Bella going camping with the Cullens. It is hilarious. The writer nailed Emmett."

"Really?"

"Ya – that one just finished, so the complete story is there, which is good 'cause I hate waiting for the next instalment..."

"Is that why you were so preoccupied this afternoon – waiting for the end of this camping story?"

She flushed again – being Bella was sure having an impact on her. "No, not exactly... there's this other story about Bella and Edward, except they are both human. Edward is a dance instructor or something. I've been reading it for awhile and it was just getting good, and now I am stuck waiting for the next chapter. It's driving me nuts!"

"You're really into this, aren't you" I looked at her incredulously.

"Not really!" she shot me an annoyed look, "it's just something to pass the time when we're not on set, or in between shots. There's only so much I can take of daytime TV, you know."

"Sure." I chuckled, "I suppose. Well, I'm just glad to know my co-star isn't mental. We've got a few more sequels to shoot."

She glared at me as I left for my own suite. Imagine, hung up on stories written by the fans... crazy...

Only, now I was wondering, what other stories could there be?

I quickly got back to my suite and went straight to my laptop. What was that site? After a few failed attempts, I Googled it. Brilliant, there it is... Now where were the fan stories... hmm, under discussion? No... maybe groups? Oh, yes, here it is Fan Fiction. Wow, there are hundreds of pages of titles. People are really into this...

This is ridiculous. What am I doing – reading fan fiction. Don't I get enough of Edward all day at work? I shook my head. Maybe I'm just stressed. I should play some music.

I left my laptop on the desk, the browser still open, and went to my guitar. Playing always made me relax and helped me shake off the stress and exhaustion of pretending to be someone else. It brought me back to myself...

There was a tune that was on the edge of my brain. I tried picking a few notes and chords, coaxing it out, seeing if it would come, but my mind kept wandering back to the camping story. Can you imagine, the Cullens actually going camping. I couldn't see it. Alice and Rosalie would never go for it. Emmett, sure. And even Jasper… I suppose even Edward would go along with it. But really!

I struck a discord in frustration. Why couldn't I get this new song? I was too preoccupied. I settled for playing through a few previous compositions and a some good oldies – songs my fingers would simply play with little or no thought. I tried to lose myself in the music…

However, only a few songs later, I found myself glancing back at the laptop. What was it that Kristen found so funny? I suppose all of them in the wild with Bella would be funny, if a bit ridiculous. Well, it couldn't be too stressful – it actually sounded like a good laugh. I could use a good laugh. So I set down my guitar and went back to the computer.

It took a bit of searching, but I finally found the story. Hmmm, it does look kind of funny, I thought. And so I read, and read, and read. It was, actually, pretty good. And Kristen was right – Emmett's character was hilarious... I immediately felt better. This was fun. I wonder what else there is...

I searched through the various titles, noting the summaries and ratings. Wow, there was some pretty interesting stuff… I momentarily scanned through the other story Kristen had pointed out… Even alone, I could feel my embarrassment as I read through… quite the imagination some people had. I didn't dwell there and finally found the tango instructor story. It was good.

Before I knew it, it was 2:30 am by the digital clock on the Blue Ray. Man, I've got to be up and at makeup by 6 am. I'd better get some sleep. How in the world did the time slip by so quickly?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Research

"So, did you read the camping story?" Kristen asked the next day as soon as there was no one in hearing distance. I didn't really want to admit that I had spent all night reading fan fiction, especially after I'd been a bit of a git about it all last night, but it seemed dumb to lie – I mean, this is, really, not a big deal.

"Yes, I read it. You're right, it was entertaining – better then late night TV" I admitted.

"See…" She glared at me.

"Yes, well, it looks like they want us back to re-shoot, so we'd better get on set." It was a little stiff, I knew, but I was more then a little embarrassed that I had become so caught up in all the stories. Especially when, at that very minute, I was wondering if there was an update on the Edward as Tango instructor story. What was with this Marco guy – was he really Edward's mate? Or was he going to try to steal Bella away? And what was Bella doing dancing with him in the street…

"Well, look who's a little distracted today." Kristen shot me an accusatory glance.

"Okay, so the dance instructor story was good too."

"You know, we can get pretty decent internet on my iPhone…" she gave me a knowing look.

"All right, next break we'll check for an update." I gave in. Now she knew I was just as into it as she was. Oh well, I suppose I shouldn't be terribly concerned… And we could keep this just between the two of us…

Unfortunately at our next break there was no further update. "Man, this is frustrating. How can you stand this?" I asked Kristen.

"Well, at first, it was really hard, especially before we got the New Moon script and I didn't have much else to distract me. Actually, I started following several story lines all at once."

"Really…" I thought about all the different pieces I had read last night – they were all blurring together in my mind now, "How do you manage to keep them straight?"

"Honestly, it was hard at first, especially when there are similar story lines – like there's two I'm reading now about an alternative ending to New Moon. Both essentially have Edward saving Bella after the cliff dive – but in one she breaks her back and Edward has to change her. In the other she survives just fine… I keep getting those two mixed up. I have to keep going back and skimming through the chapters just to figure out what story I'm in. It's kind of intense."

"Yes, I can see how it would be… So what do you do?"

"I try to limit myself to one story line per topic. It is easier to keep them straight when the stories don't overlap. But it's hard to choose 'cause there are so many people covering the same stories – and they are interesting… so sometimes I still end up following two similar stories."

"Hmmm." She raised a good point.

"So what stories are you reading now?" I wondered if some were the same as the ones that had caught my attention last night. I suddenly hoped not… It bothered me, having Kristen read a story about me and a married woman or being with some love crazed fan, even if it was fictional… It wasn't really me… but still. The blush must have been evident on my face.

"I don't read those ones." She said, guessing at my embarrassment, "Well, to be honest, I started once – I was curious - but it was just weird, you know, since we work together and all… It's different then reading about Edward."

"Thanks." It was foolish to react this way. I didn't really care what other people thought, but someone I knew and had to see everyday…

"But I did read about the honeymoon – from Edward's POV of course…"

"Really? I didn't see that one."

"It's been up for awhile, then it was accidentally deleted... Now it's under another name with links to the chapters. It's pretty spicy, but it also does a good job of getting inside Edward's head. You should read it. You could consider it "research".

"Sure" I smiled, "Yes, research."

"Other than that – there's Choices, by the same person who wrote the Camping story… She did another one but it was too sad for me. There's a new one I just started about Edward after he was changed into a vampire and learning about his new life. It is very interesting – and also might be good 'research'" she smiled as she fingered the quotes in the air, "And there's a pretty popular love story between Nessie and Jacob that's worth checking out… There's more I've read, but that's what comes to mind."

"Thanks" I said again. I wondered at my sudden interest. What was I doing – making a mental list of stories to look for as soon as we had a break? Some she had mentioned, I'd read last night, but others were unfamiliar… and intriguing. It was just entertainment, right – and research… especially all the EPOV stories…

Yes… Research… Sure….


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Complications

The next few days Kristen and I spent every break pouring over her iPhone or our laptops when we got a chance to go back to our trailers. When we'd finally break for the day, I'd rush back to my suite and spend most of the night at my computer. In the morning, Kristen and I would huddle together laughing over the various updates on stories we were both reading. I tried to stick to a more reasonable bed time, but it seemed as though when I got onto the fan fiction site I entered Lothlorian and time had no meaning.

We had an unspoken agreement not to bring this up with anyone else… There wasn't anything wrong, per se, with our research… or entertainment… whatever, but I think we both anticipated some harsh teasing should the rest of the cast find out.

It has been about a week since Kristen had shared the site with me when our code of silence was challenged. It was a perfectly gorgeous day. We were about to shoot Bella's fateful 18th birthday so all the "Cullens" were on set.

"Yawn" I carefully stifled my exhaustion under my hand and coughed to cover it.

"That's, like, the fourteenth yawn and it's only 10 AM. What did you do last night?" Jackson asked as he joined me at the refreshment table. Okay, so maybe I didn't stifle the yawn as carefully as I had thought.

"I played guitar a bit… then some reading and research. I suppose I ought to get to bed earlier."

"Hmmm," Kellan raised an eyebrow, "Sure"

Kristen was over at the next table, picking up a bottle of Evian, chatting with Ashley, Nikki and Elizabeth. She suddenly looked up at me with a slightly panicked, pleading look on her face. She had, obviously, over heard the conversation, and picked up on Kellan's suspicious tone… I guessed she was hoping I would take her expression as a request to not mention our research project.

Kellan, being much more perceptive then his character, noticed the exchanged glance, as did Ashley. Kellan looked back at me, eyes narrowed and murmured, "Research, I'm sure."

I could only guess what he thought we were really up to, and I had a sinking feeling it wasn't as innocent as reading stories on the Internet. Clearly the amount of time Kristen and I had been spending together hadn't gone unnoticed. I sighed. Things were getting complicated.

Kristen and I avoided each other for the rest of the day, both sensing that things were being assumed. This is exactly how rumours get started – and stuff gets fed to the so-called entertainment magazines. I am sure, by the end of the week, we'll be engaged or some other foolishness. This really is a frustrating business some times.

When nothing more was said, or implied by the end of the day, I thought, perhaps, the others had let it go. However, after we finished shooting for the day, I saw Ashley grab Kristen by the arm and steer her off in another direction. Not too long after, Jackson and Kellan came up to me.

"Hey, Robert. Do you want to grab a bite to eat or a drink?" Jackson asked, visibly uncomfortable.

"Ya, Rob – We were thinking it would be good to hang out for a bit. We haven't done that for a while." Kellan added, seemingly more forceful and determined.

"Sure, guys…" I didn't think this was going to be a casual conversation.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Further Complications

Dinner was, well great. We met at Steamworks by Gastown, overlooking the bay. The food and service was good, but the great part was we didn't get mobbed like I'd been at some other places. So far, Vancouver seemed different that way. Sure, a number of people looked over and whispered their suspicions as to who we were, but only a few approached us for an autograph. It was almost like being me again – before Harry Potter and Twilight. Except, I was sure the waiter gave us some extra special attention. Now that part I didn't mind at all.

Kellan and Jackson basically joked around, laughing at some gaffs and missed lines during filming. We were sure to have a good blooper reel for this one, but the conversation never went much deeper then that. I could tell they wanted to say something, but it didn't come up… until the end.

Just as we were settling back, enjoying beers and ale, watching sports on the TV at the bar, I noticed Kellan give Jackson a knowing look. Jackson gave Kellan a shove and a look that said, "You start." I braced myself…

"So – you and Kristen, hey?" Kellan said, teasingly.

"I haven't the foggiest what you mean." I replied, trying to maintain a calm composure, suddenly looking around to see if there was anyone in hearing distance. We wouldn't want this to get out in the local rag. Fortunately it was later in the middle of the week and the tables around us were now empty.

Kellan coughed to clear his throat, "Okay, we'll play it your way - what's up with you and Kristen?" Kellan never skirted around the issue – he just jumped right in. "You guys seem very close lately, so, you know, we're just wondering."

"Um, Ya" Jackson was visibly uncomfortable. His comments seemed apologetic, trying to soften Kellan's abruptness "We don't really care what you do in your personal time, we are just wondering if we should be concerned about the film, you know."

"Yes" Kellan added, "So here's the thing – Kristen has a boyfriend, as we all know, and things can get out of control when you are working, like 24/7 – it happens to the best of us. So, we're just concerned that, if this ends badly, what it could mean for the entire cast." His frown suddenly creased, and then he broke out into a huge smile, "Did I just basically quote from Twilight – the kitchen scene?"

"Yes" I laughed back… Hoping this would deter the conversation. "Look, I'm not planning on biting her…" I chuckled. I meant to continue the joke, but I realized, too late, that was the wrong thing to say.

"Er…" Jackson looked at me, speculatively, "So, what are you planning?… Like is this serious, or are you just fooling around?"

I had just walked right into a conversation I didn't want to be a part of, but I didn't know how to get out of it. If I outright denied their suspicions then they would need an explanation. If I confirmed… well that was out of the question. "I don't see how any of this is your business." I said stuffily.

"Don't be naive, Rob. We see you guys every day, laughing together at every break… something is said and you automatically look up at each other… there's something going on – and it's more then just messing around. What happens when it ends, and you still have two movies left to make? What happens to us if this all goes south?" Kellan argued. Tempers were starting to rise – his and mine. I glared back, my lips pursed.

"What we're trying to say is that, you are right – your relationships are your business. But how those relationships affect our careers – that is our business." Jackson tried to smooth things over.

I sighed… but in Jackson's words I saw an escape. "There is nothing going on that you need to be concerned about. Kristen and I are both professionals and we maintain a professional working relationship. We are both committed to these projects. The time we spend together is professional." Did I say professional too many times?

Kellan looked at me with disbelief. Jackson just stared up at the sports highlights, trying to extricate himself from the uncomfortable aura that surrounded us at that moment. Then Kellan cracked a huge grin, cuffing me in the shoulder, "Well, at least she's hot. And you know she's not after your fame and fortune…"

I shook my head, "It's not like that, Kellan – but thanks anyway. Listen, I know you guys are concerned about me and Kristen as much as you are concerned about your careers. I appreciate the concern, really, I do. I am just telling you, there is nothing to be concerned about."

I could see that they didn't really buy my explanation, but they were ready to let it go. Nobody wanted to get into a feelings discussion. Besides, the highlights of the night were on, and for that I was thankful as Jackson and Kellan were caught up in a summary of brutal hockey hits, replayed in slow motion.

When I got back to my hotel, I noticed the message light flashing on my room phone. Strange that someone would leave me a message here instead of calling my mobile. I understood why as soon as I heard who the message was from – Kristen.

"Rob, call me as soon as you get this, whatever time it is when you get in. We have to discuss damage control."

Of course, the "girls" must have taken her out as well. What was this – middle school? Did we just get caught passing notes in class? I was more then a little annoyed at where this was all going. I quickly dialled Kristen's number on my mobile. She picked up on the first ring.

"Rob – we've got to talk."

"And a pleasant evening to you too, Kristen."

"Ya, whatever – I am guessing that Kellan and Jackson took you out to dinner tonight. Ashley and Nikki took me out for a "girls night" and I imagine you can guess what happened."

Was she seriously talking like this? Just spit it out! "Yes, Kristen – they suspect, from all the time we are spending together that we are becoming involved, romantically. Is that what you are trying to say?"

"Yes – the girls basically attacked me – wanting to know how long we've been together, what about my boyfriend, whether or not I had broken it off with him, whether we are serious or just hooking up. They didn't even ask if it was true, they just assumed. I can only imagine what others are saying…. Or what may have already been leaked to the press. I mean, if they noticed, surely the crew and others on the set… and you never know who is looking for the next big story. I didn't want to call your cell, 'cause that would only add to the suspicions, so I've been sitting here waiting for you to get back so we can figure this all out. I don't want to be on the front page of another tabloid. I hate this part of the job." She was racing on, hardly stopping for breath or for me to interject.

"Calm down, Kristen." I finally managed to interrupt. I heard a deep breath on the other side of the line. "This doesn't have to be a big deal. We just need to have our stories straight…. So what is our story?"

"Maybe you're having trouble remembering your lines and we are practising every minute we can to make sure you're prepared." Kristen suggested, hopefully.

"Okay, first of all, I never have trouble with my lines and secondly, that is the worst excuse I've ever heard. Like they won't see right through that. Besides, if that were really the case, wouldn't either of us had said so tonight? If it were that simple… No, we need something better then that."

"You're right. It needs to be something we wouldn't want to admit to, but that is better then what they suspect…" Kristen trailed off, deep in thought.

"Hmmm. I'm drawing a blank. I can't think of anything." Maybe it was the ale, but I was truly out of stories or possible explanations… There was a long pause before Kristen broke the silence.

"We could tell them the truth." She barely whispered.

And the truth shall set us free – or making us the laughing stock of the cast and crew. I sighed in frustration. I hated the idea of admitting to this foolish, almost childish obsession – well not so childish, since children shouldn't read much of the stories I was following – but I couldn't think of anything else to feed them…

"Let's sleep on it. I'll call in the morning before heading to the set. Maybe one of us will get a brilliant idea in the middle of the night. Good night, Kristen."

"Good night, Rob."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Coming Clean

The morning didn't bring any further revelations or brilliant insights as to how to deal with the situation. After showering and getting dressed, I called Kristen's room.

"Hello." a very groggy voice answered the phone.

"Kristen, it's me, Rob. Are you awake?"

"What time is it?"

"6:30 AM – we are due at make up in half an hour."

"Geez, Rob – are you crazy? I still have 10 minutes of sleep…"

"Ah, okay… I'll call back in 10 minutes?"

"No, I'm up now – what do you want?"

It felt like a scene from the Twilight zone… I laughed at the irony… Did last night not happen? Was I dreaming? No, I had felt the morning after effects of the ale – the stale taste on my tongue before I brushed my teeth. I was fairly certain it had happened.

"Oh, wait Rob – I – right – we're supposed to talk about… the others… and fan fiction… and the fake relationship…" She must be waking up now. "Sorry – didn't get much sleep last night… I'm a little out of it."

"I can tell" I chucked, "So, I suppose you haven't had any brilliant ideas on how to handle this situation?"

There was a pause at the other end of the line. I wondered if she was still trying to figure out what situation I was referring to… Perhaps she was still sleepy.

"No – I don't have anything… Unless you want to go back to the script practise idea?" She asked hopefully.

"I don't think that will work. They'll see right through the lie and, really, I don't want to lie to them. I don't really want to tell them the truth – but it seems rather silly to lie about this. It makes it a bigger deal then it really is, don't you think?" Overnight I had come to accept that honesty was probably the best way… If we said nothing, they would think we were involved, more or less, and that was definitely not a better option. Anything else would be a lie – and was this secret really worth lying about. Lies just make things so much more complicated than they need to be.

"Ya. I mean, sure we might get some ribbing from the others. But it's not like we're doing anything illegal or immoral. It is just entertainment, as you said – and possibly research."

"I don't think they are going to buy the research explanation, but they'll probably just laugh at us and let it go… or possibly we'll be the butt of every joke for the rest of the shoot, but if we just face up to it, they'll probably tire of it soon enough."

"Sure" Kristen's words agreed, but I could tell she was sceptical. I was sceptical. I didn't like the idea of making a fool of myself – of appearing like an idiot… but the alternative was much worse.

"Let's break for lunch." Chris Weitz announced. He was heading back to his onsite office to review footage from the morning. The rest of us broke away looking for a bite to eat.

"Hey, guys, can we all do lunch together?" Kristen asked the cast. We will still working on the birthday scene so everyone was on set.

"Sure, that sounds great" Elizabeth replied, "We don't always get a chance to hang out."

"Ya" Peter agreed.

_Gee, we probably should have asked Peter to come out for dinner with us guys last night_, I supposed feeling a little guilty for leaving him out. Then I remembered, _Oh, ya, it wasn't my idea…_

Everyone quickly got on board with the lunch idea. I wasn't ready to face them, but Kristen bit the bullet – so we were into it.

On days like this, lunch was brought in, so we quickly pick up our meals and headed outside. It was a beautiful day, and we all knew we would spend many more hours in the studio, so a breath of fresh air was in order. Fortunately, there were some tables set up outside so we had a place to eat.

Everyone had just dug into their meal. I decided that I might as well get this over with. I quickly looked over at Kristen, eyebrow raised, silently asking if I should start. Understanding my unspoken question, she nodded.

"So, some of you decided to host a little 'intervention' yesterday." I started, trying to be humorous… and failing miserably. Peter and Elizabeth looked up quizzically. Apparently they were not in on the plan… I guessed I needed to explain, "Some of you were… concerned… about Kristen and my working relationship… and felt a need to discuss it with each of us."

Elizabeth's face suddenly flashed with understanding. So she was in on it – or maybe she had also noticed us over the past week. Peter only looked slightly less confused. He must have not noticed at all. The more I thought about it, I guessed that it must have been Ashley and Kellan who had had noticed and brought in Nikki and Jackson as support. They did tend to be more… perceptive… or nosy would be a better word. I grinned grimly.

"Yes… Last nights 'girl's night out' was very… enlightening." Kristen added – eyeing Ashley and Nikki. Ashley just stared back unashamed, while Nikki found a sudden interest in reorganizing the fruit on her plate.

There was a momentary pause then – nobody else knew what to do or say – and Kristen and I were both hesitant to go on. The tension was maddening. I needed to fill the air with… something… anything… except what I really needed to say.

"Listen guys – it really is none of our business" Jackson rescued me – just as embarrassed as Nikki.

But now, everyone looked up, alternating between me and Kristen with a mixture of expressions, ranging from curious to expectant and accusatory to, finally, clueless. The last was Peter… He must have really been out of the loop on this one.

"No, we need to clear the air on this" I gave Jackson an appreciative look, but I knew I had to go on.

"So when's the wedding?" Kellan exploded with a loud laugh.

"Could you watch your mouth?" I shot back at Kellan, glaring… Who knows who might have heard that? Then I realized that his words would not implicate anyone… But still, he had a big mouth.

"Sorry, man…" He was apologetic…

Everyone was silent… waiting for one of us to finally say something concrete… I took a deep breath, "Okay, so as most of you know – Kristen and I have been spending a lot of time together over the past week and… SOME of you have accused us of being… well… involved, romantically."

Ashley eyed Kellan at that point, confirming my suspicions of where this particular story originated.

"It's not true." Kristen added then… obviously impatient with my hesitancy.

"Right" Ashley rolled her eyes and Kellan scoffed.

Nikki returned to rearranging the food on her plate, while Jackson developed a sudden interest in a sea gull hopping round the periphery of our table – probably hoping for a scrap of food.

Elizabeth was only moderately interested. She appeared patient to hear the story, without judgement. I felt a wave of genuine appreciation for her – I believed she would be supportive with whatever we said next.

Peter was, well, relieved... Not at the denial – only to finally know what was going on.

"Kristen is right. We are good friends" Kellan rolled his eyes and mouthed 'we're just friends' at Ashley, "and we are professionals… Yes, we have been spending more time together, but it isn't was you think. You see, Kristen introduced me to a form of… entertainment."

Kellan choked out a laugh as Kristen shot me an accusatory glance. I realized, too late, that I had put the blame on her, unintentionally, in my attempt to explain away our new interest.

"It's research, really" she added, "it helps us develop a deeper understanding of our characters…"

I looked around the table… 7 pairs of eyes stared back, waiting for my explanation…

"We have been reading fan fiction," I finally spit out, "on the Internet… you know, stories, written by fans of the series… some of it is really excellent and well written" I added defensively, bracing myself for the onslaught of heckling….

And it came, from the most unlikely source – Jackson's face turned bright read and he suddenly doubled over in laughter, almost hitting his head on the table. It started with a silent shaking that almost looked like a heart attack, but then he took in a huge breath and let out the bellows of laugher while he held his sides… I wondered if he could breathe at all.

"You……..are reading……..fan fiction" He blurted out between laughs. He wiped a tear from his face, "That… is what… all this…. is…. about?"

"It's not that funny!" Kristen exclaimed, defensively.

"No…. it…. really is…. not that….. you…. are reading…. it…… but…. Kellan and Ashley…." He lost himself in laugher then.

I had never seen Jackson loose it like this. He was usually a pretty cool character. Sure we'd get a chuckle out of him now and then, but a full belly laugh, never – and this… I thought he might loose control of his faculties.

Jackson's laugh was contagious. We couldn't help it. It started with Nikki who started giggling hysterically and then hiccupped – triggering the rest of us.

This was laughter – true, from the gut, laughter… after all the tension of preparing to 'come clean' as it were – of worrying about what the rest of the cast thought of us – and what they would think of us now – the laughter was a much needed relief. After several minutes, we finally got a hold of ourselves, wiping the tears from our faces, breathing hard from the effort…

"We're all going to need to go back to make-up," Peter grinned.

"Ya" Kristen agreed, red faced from laughing.

It took another pause for everyone to really settle themselves…

"So, what was so funny?" Elizabeth asked.

We looked at Jasper, but it was Nikki who explained, "You see, Kellan and Ashley have been watching you two all week, going on and on about how you guys are getting pretty cosy – going off together during breaks… They were so… convinced… that something was going on. And all along, you were just hooked on fan fiction."

"You guys didn't disagree." Ashley pouted, shooting a glace at Nikki and Jackson.

"No, well, we just didn't imagine the real reason. You guys were so… secretive. I mean, what other explanation could there be." Nikki defended.

"We could have been practising lines." Kristen said stubbornly.

"Like we haven't heard that one before," Kellan laughed.

"So, why were you guys so secretive?" Elizabeth said softly, "I mean, what's the big deal?"

I was taken aback. I was expecting laughter – directed at Kristen and me. I was expecting heckling… some poorly directed shots at my maturity and, perhaps, my sanity… This was, clearly, no big deal.

"Yes – I guess, we should raz you a bit. I am surprised you are just getting into it now. I mean, fans have been writing on various sites for quite a while now." Peter added.

"You guys are into this as well?" I looked around at the group. There wasn't a hint of a snide comment among them.

"Sure – it's funny as hell" Kellan added. "I love reading about Emmett – did you catch that camping story? Emmett's hilarious."

"Yes, and the Wedding from Edward's point of view - it fills in the gaps…" Ashley laughed. "You could probably use that for a few pointers, Rob – you know, when we get to the last movie."

"I think I can figure it out." I playfully frowned back. "Besides, it's going to be PG-13, I don't think I'll need all that many pointers!"

"So – all of you have really been reading fan fiction?" Kristen asked as relief spread across her face.

She was answered with a chorus of nods. It looked like we were the ones a little slow on the uptake.

"Well, I guess I do feel a little foolish. I was worried you guys would tease us mercilessly…" I admitted.

"Oh, we will, don't you worry," Kellan laughed, giving me a playful punch in the shoulder.

"Thanks." I murmured back.

We spent the rest of the break sharing stories we were following, comparing opinions on whether or not a particular author was 'getting it right' as far as staying true to the character. Some of the cast preferred the alternate story lines for New Moon, with Edward coming back to save the day in various forms – whether it was because he was good at tracking, or because he returned in time to save Bella after jumping – but I actually preferred the original. It was the tragedy of it, and the ultimate redemption, that worked for me.

Most of the cast had found stories of how their characters had become vampires, which was very interesting. I had been following a recent version, 'Life after Death' that was really quite insightful. Ashley was particularly pleased with finding her character's story, since the books were light on her back story. Of course, Stephanie Meyer had given us all copies of her background work on each character, but still, it was helpful to hear it in story form.

All too soon, lunch was over and we headed back to make-up. Looking around, there wasn't a single one of us who didn't need some significant touch ups… Chris was going to wonder what in the world happened over lunch.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Intimacy

After touch ups, the afternoon went fairly well. We got a speculative look from Chris, but all in all, he seemed satisfied with our collective performance. I imagined that the shared experience, and the laughter created a stronger sense of team then had previously existed and, for that afternoon, filming was almost magical.

Yes, there was teasing and joking around – but not because Kristen and I were into fan fiction, but rather because it had apparently taken us much longer then the rest of them to get into it. I tried to consider why that might be. I suppose, with the tours, the promotional events, the interviews, we had been busier then the rest. I wondered if Taylor had a similar experience, or if he'd discovered fan fiction at all. I guessed I wouldn't see him for sometime, since we wouldn't be shooting together for quite a while.

When we finally ended for the day, it was late – but we didn't want to go our separate ways, yet. We wanted to hold on to the camaraderie, the increased intimacy of our friendship, perhaps afraid it would disappear at first light.

"So, what's the plan?" Peter asked, sensing the need to continue our time together as much as I did.

"Clubbing – let's go clubbing!" Ashley exclaimed, excitedly.

"Ummm," Nikki responded, "I know that sounds exciting… usually I would be all up for that… but I'm just not into loud music and all that right now. Actually, I would enjoy doing something where we could just, you know, talk."

"Actually, that does sound like fun." Elizabeth agreed.

A few others nodded.

At twenty-two years of age, I would have never thought that a night of sitting around and talking would be my choice over flashing lights, dancing, great music, good drinks and, well, female companionship. It would be fun – all of us at a club – having girls who were actual friends to dance with, no tension, no expectations. But tonight, I agreed with Nikki. There was something magical about just being able to talk to each other… for tonight anyway. Let's not get out of hand and be old!

"Besides, if all of us showed up a club, together… that would be pretty hard to hide! I suppose if we really want to do that, we should make some appropriate arrangements… like security." Kristen added, reasonably.

"I suppose you're right." Ashley was disappointed… "But hey, it's only Wednesday anyway. What if made a plan for the weekend… check around – find a good place where we could go as a group. I think it would be great."

That did sound great – so we would hang tonight, go clubbing on the weekend. Plus we all had to be up early the next morning – a hang over would not be helpful.

"So, where do we go?" Elizabeth asked

"Why not just pick up a few things and head back to one of our suites – you know – a good old fashioned chip and pop party." Jackson suggested.

"You could come to my place, it has a great view." Kristen added.

"It's a plan." I agreed.

And so, we were all headed back to Kristen's for chips and pop and, I was sure, a few other beverages to hang out and talk…

In the end we had a service bring the snacks and beverages to the hotel… We were all sitting around Kristen's living room looking out over the city and the ocean. She was right, she had an amazing view. Mine faced the opposite direction, and was beautiful as well, but this was amazing…

The chatter started up almost immediately, groups of two or three discussing the day, different scenes, what was happening back at home. Kristen and Nikki were playing hostess, getting everyone drinks, while Kellan helped Elizabeth set out the snacks. I continued to stand by the window, looking out over the city, when Peter came up behind me.

"You know, I really had no idea what was going on this afternoon. I am kind of glad you let us all in." He started.

"I know..."

He chuckled, "I suppose I must have looked a little confused. I felt sort of lost, like I had been away for a couple weeks and was walking into the middle of something."

"You know, you are just so into your character… such a professional. I suppose it is a credit to you that you don't spend all your time wondering about what everyone else is up to."

"Thanks – but still, I work with you guys, day in and day out sometimes, and still, I didn't notice anything."

"Don't worry about it – there was nothing to notice. I would actually prefer it if some of the others" like Kellan and Ashley for example, "where more like you."

"Really? Do you really think so?" He looked around at the group – now a group of friends.

I wondered at his words. Would I really prefer to be a part of a cast where everyone was the consummate professional and never considered what else was going on in their co-workers lives? In some ways, yes. It would be easier to just come and go… to keep myself to myself. And I wouldn't have to miss them when we were done, which for some of the cast would be all too soon. We were shooting the scenes that required the entire cast before they went on to do the bulk of the film which required Kristen, Taylor, Billy and the Ouellette cast… But would that really be as satisfying as being a part of a group of people who drove you mad sometimes, but also cared enough to accuse you of sleeping with your co-worker and call you on it.

As I looked around at the group I realized I didn't have a definitive answer for all time, but I knew I was glad to be where I was now – with this group of people. I walked away from the window with Peter and we sat down with the rest, who had settled in to the sofas and chairs that encircled the living room.

"So, when did you first get into fan fiction?" Kristen asked nobody in particular.

"Oh, I was into it before the first movie…" Ashley started, "I read the book and there were some sites… nothing like now, but fans would write in before the next book came out with their own views of what would happen next, mostly."

"When I first found out I had a role in the movie, I did a Google search to learn what I could and a fan fiction site came up… I started reading and kind of got hooked…" Kellan looked slightly embarrassed.

"Ashley told me about it when we first started shooting Twilight" Nikki said, "I didn't go check it out right away… I was busy memorizing lines and preparing for the role. But then, one night, there was nothing to do and I though I might as well. I started reading that one, Two Can Tango – it was on another site then – and got hooked… I am still waiting for the ending, though… that is the downside of fan fiction. Sometimes the people writing get busy, or lose inspiration."

"Ya, I know what you mean – like that one about Edward tracking Victoria and coming back early… that one has been on hold FOREVER – I haven't checked it in a few days… it is just too disappointing." Elizabeth added

"No, there was an update yesterday…" Ashley said.

"Really?" Elizabeth said hopefully, "I'll have to check it when I get back to my room…"

"No, here, take my iPhone" Kristen offered.

Elizabeth thankfully took it, navigating through the site while the conversation continued.

"To be perfectly honest, I am surprised you can stand going on the site, Rob." Jackson said, "It is one thing to read optional story lines about a character you are playing… but what about all the ones about you, personally? Like that one where you have a one night stand with a woman who ends up being married, but then you can't stop thinking about her…"

"Hey, how do you know that didn't actually happen?" Kellan teased.

I shifted in my seat so I could lift up my foot, crossing it over my leg, and started playing with my shoe. Yes, THOSE stories were a bit, embarrassing…

"Well, all I can say is my fans must have very inventive imaginations…" I chuckled nervously… "I suppose, if that is true, it would be fairly interesting to actually hook up with one of them." I smiled slyly as I played along. Better to tease about it then actually admit my embarrassment.

"You dog" Kellan chuckled, not so lightly punching me in the shoulder.

"So did you guys comment and stuff, or just read?" I asked, trying to redirect the conversation.

"Oh, I comment all the time." Kellan jumped in. "It's easy – all you do is put everything in caps and tell them how AWESOME!!!!! it is…"

We all laughed. I could see Kellan typing that – and actually meaning it.

"Really – what is your alias?" Ashley asked.

"You know, I just leave myself logged in, so I'm not one hundred percent… something like I luv Kellan or Emmett… I don't remember."

"So like you to make an alias about yourself." Kristen laughed.

"Of course – what else... that's what everyone does." Kellan defended.

"Some people use their names or variations of twilight fan, etc…" Nikki said, "I don't have one – I just read… I'm a 'lurker' I guess, but I thought about it. I was thinking it would be funny to just use my name. It isn't an uncommon name – and likely no one would guess."

"I'm on – I only comment when I really like something. And I try to point out exactly what I like, so the writer will know… so it is helpful, you know?" Elizabeth added.

Ashley started giggling, "Have any of you written?"

"Ah, well" Jackson started…

"NO!" Kristen exclaimed…

Colour rose to Jackson's cheeks – was he blushing? He was actually blushing. We broke out into laughter.

"Okay, it's not that bad… a while back, I wrote one small scene, from Jasper's perspective, just to try and get into it… I didn't put it up right away, but then, one day, I just did… on a whim… It didn't get a lot of attention."

"Hey, it takes confidence to put yourself out there like that," Peter reassured him, "Even if it is under a pseudonym."

"Well…" Ashley started, "I actually did start writing something. I haven't posted it… yet. It's a story about Alice dragging Bella off to New York to get into the fashion world. They start off modeling, but then Alice gets into design and they start there own label. I'm not sure where to end it, though."

"Sounds interesting – you should post it." Nikki encouraged.

"Maybe… I would rather have it done first… so I don't get stuck in the middle."

"Wait… if Bella is in New York, what happened to Edward?" Kellan asked, a little too concerned, "I mean, he wouldn't be away from her… and what about all the lustful thoughts of the guys who saw her modelling… wouldn't he freak out about that?"

"Ummm, I hadn't thought about that… I might have to go do some editing. There could be some funny stuff there." Ashley added back… and then sighed, "I just don't have enough time to really get into it… I should have thought of that before."

"Of course – I mean, this is Edward, we're talking about!" Kellan said a little too forcefully.

There was an awkward silence that followed, no one really sure what to say.

"I guess that was a little weird, hey?" Kellan finally broke the silence, sheepishly. "I'm sorry, it just makes me kind of mad when people forget who they are writing aboutand make up some ridiculous offshoot that would never work because they've forgotten the true nature of the characters they are manipulating."

Everyone just stared at Kellan. It was the most intelligent and well thought out sentence I had heard come out of his mouth… and concerning. He really cared about this.

"You do realize these are FICTIONAL characters, right Kellan." Jackson asked.

Kellan cracked a huge smile, "Yes Jasper!" and we all joined in the joke with him.

"I know what you mean, though" I added, "It is a little maddening when I read something in a story that doesn't make sense… especially when it is Edward. But, in a way, it helps, because then I think about it and either it fills out my picture of Edward, or I disagree and it helps me better define the character in my head… like I said, it's research." I smiled impishly.

We were starting to run out of steam… It had been a long day and we all had an early morning. Soon, we would start dispersing to our individual rooms. Kristen got up and started clearing glasses and bottles away, piling them up in the kitchen for the cleaning staff. The chatter was dying down… the girls had turned to some discussion about a political issue around the Olympics which would be here next year, while Peter, Kellan and Jackson talked about maybe getting tickets to see a Canucks game.

My mind wandered… The last part of the conversation sparked an idea; Could I write a piece on Edward? Perhaps take a part of the actual book and rewrite it from his perspective? That would certainly be helpful in preparing for the scene… Or maybe an alternate story line… hmmm… My mind flickered between several ideas when I was interrupted in my musing.

"Hey Rob… earth to Rob… do you want to catch the game this weekend?" Kellan asked.

"Sure." I replied… were they still talking about hockey? Whatever, it would probably be a good time anyway. I didn't really care… my mind was working on ideas.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Making Plans

The next day, Kellan and Ashley set to work putting our weekend plans in motion. I hadn't realized it before, but they were the social conveners of the group. Even during Twilight, when we were still getting to know each other, it was usually one of them who would try to get people together to do something fun… And fun, to them, was usually high energy.

"Okay, I found a club… I spoke to some people and they assured me this is the perfect place – good music, good drinks. We should go on Saturday – there will be a crowd, but it should be okay. There's a VIP area and a couple of the security guys will come along, just to make sure nothing happens… they are going to make arrangements for us to come in the back so we don't make a scene out front."

"What club?" Nikki asked.

"Nope – it's a surprise!" Ashley's eyes flashed with mischief.

"Well, it will just be fun to get out!" Elizabeth added, "Other then last night, I've pretty much spent every evening in my suite watching TV and… reading." she smiled. We knew what she meant.

Kellan walked up just then, a smile plastered to his face… "Alright guys – decide now whether you are in or out! I've got a lead on tickets to the Friday game – Canucks and Rangers! Who's in?"

"Friday, perfect" Ashley clapped her hands, "it doesn't interfere with the Club!"

"Sound great" Peter quickly replied, Jackson nodding as well.

Kellan looked at me, "Sure, why not" I replied. I wasn't really into hockey. It wasn't something we really got into back home… but I didn't imagine we would be seeing any world class football in the next few months. Well not my kind of football!

"Hockey's not really my thing" Elizabeth begged off.

"Do you want to do something else, instead?" Ashley asked her. "We could catch a movie or something…"

"I would be into that." Kristen added.

"Ummm..." Nikki looked torn. If I had to guess, I would think she actually did want to go to the game, but didn't want to be the only girl. Or maybe she wanted to hang out with the others… "Let's make it a girl's night." She finally said.

"Just as long as it isn't like the last one." Kristen grinned, giving her a playful glance.

"Right – no false accusations! Got it!" she shot back.

"Hey guys, it looks like they want us on set," Peter announced, getting us back on track.

"Alright – see you guys there, I'm just going to confirm our game tickets… 4, right behind the bench… great seats! Man, I love being famous – there are definitely perks!" Kellan exclaimed, as he walked away toward the door, mobile in hand.

We spent lunch together, again, enjoying the fresh air at the outside table. However, unlike yesterday, we didn't spend the first half an hour in awkward conversation. It was hard to believe it was only twenty-four hours earlier that Kristen and I sat here, dreading the very conversation that had brought us all closer then ever. Time truly was relative.

"So, we're good for the hockey tickets." Kellan announced. "Just like I promised – great seats. Right behind the visitor bench."

A part of me was beginning to anticipate this new experience. I had never seen a professional hockey game up close and personal. It should be interesting. However, all covered up with pads and protection, it was hardly brutal. Now football - there was a brutal sport. Running, all out with nothing more then some slight padding, with guys who can kick higher then your head…

"So did you post your story, Ashley?" Kristen asked.

"No – I want to make some changes first – and we didn't get out of your place 'till midnight. I just hit the sack when I got back to my room. Maybe I'll work on it tonight…" she mused.

"You know, you got me thinking," Kristen replied back, "May I'll write something too – like maybe I'll have Bella become a Vampire right at the end of Twilight… like maybe Edward doesn't suck out the venom…"

"I think I saw a story like that." Nikki added.

"Oh." Kristen looked disappointed.

"No, that's not what I meant… Just that it's a good idea. I didn't mean to say 'It's been done'. You should do it!" she encouraged.

"Well, maybe I will… or maybe I'll write from Renee's perspective... trying to figure out what is going on with her daughter through emails and phone calls…"

"That would be really interesting." Elizabeth encouraged, "You should write it."

"How about you, Jackson? Any more projects on the horizon." Kellan teased.

"No…" he was still a little sore from yesterdays ribbing, "What about you?" He shot back.

"I don't write!" he said definitively, "I'm more of an action man! I give people something to write about!" He smirked.

"Ha!" Jackson shot back… "And what about you Peter?"

"No, nothing on the go…"

There was a bit of silence then… It wasn't awkward, but I felt tense. It was like I was supposed to say something – like the fates had aligned to give me this moment to speak… Why didn't someone say something? Come, on there had to be conversation that had been left unsaid. I had the uneasy feeling that I was growing, becoming more and more conspicuous the longer I remained silent. I looked around the table to see if people were staring – but no. Everyone was quietly eating their meal… Should I? Would they think my idea was silly? Would I make a fool out of myself? Well, I might as well… no one else is saying anything.

"Ah… I was considering a piece." I started.

A chorus of seven eyes rose and zoomed in on me. I was suddenly uncomfortable, wishing I could pick at my shoe, but it was impractical at the table – for both sanitary and physical reasons.

"So, what are you writing?" Peter encouraged me on. He was a truly kind person, I realized… like Elizabeth. Interesting that they would be cast as the 'father' and 'mother' of our little vampire clan. I wondered if that was why? Would their natural kindness come through their acting? Hmmm…

"Well, I'm not writing anything, yet. I was just considering it. You know, tossing ideas around." I was trying to deflect, I realized. I wasn't sure I wanted to delve into the idea that had come to me in the middle of the night last night, causing me to sit up in bed and find a scrap of paper to write it down. I didn't have to do it, I thought, there were plenty of other ideas… but this one just sounded like something I would enjoy doing.

"Come on, Rob. What is your idea?" Kristen encouraged.

"Well, I was considering a cross-literary piece…" I started, suddenly very formal… I grinned to lighten the mood for myself, "The Cullens seem to relocate every five years or so – and it seems they favour locations where they can go to school or teach or, in Carlisle's case, practise medicine. The locations mentioned in most of the literature are North American and I was thinking, what about something back home."

Everyone was nodding, encouraging me to go on…

"So then I was thinking about Oxford or Cambridge… or perhaps coming back to London, Carlisle's human home. I could be poignant – moments where he comes across remnants of his human life… but then I figured that wouldn't be realistic. I mean, London has been built and rebuilt since then and a lot of the older buildings were destroyed by German bombs… so I scraped that idea."

Kristen sighed, impatiently. I knew, I was running on… why did I tend to do that?

"So then I thought, what if they went to a fictional place, you know, cross their story with another classic, like Stephanie does… but nothing fit since all the classics are in a much earlier time period, while all of the Cullens, except Carlisle and Jasper, were changed in the 20th century. Then it came to me… What if the Cullens ended up at Hogwart's?"

There was shocked silence… or perhaps they were trying to figure out if I was done my explanation. Ashley snickered then, followed by Kristen and Kellan… soon everyone was howling.

"It could happen!" I defended. I didn't think it was that bad of an idea.

"But – they are vampires… not Wizards. What happens when they have to levitate something, or fly on a broom stick…" Kellan challenged.

"Well, I hadn't worked out that part yet." I responded with a sulk. "I was just thinking – you know how they are always going through 'Dark Arts' teachers – maybe Carlisle gets that post and the rest enrol in school. Perhaps it could be a mistake. For instance, maybe Carlisle is looking for a break from medicine and the sciences, so he take the position thinking it will be an exploration of the fine arts with a focus on 'dark' things, like vampires and werewolves… You know how he has a collection of art work. It sort of seemed like good fit."

I was disappointed. It had seemed like a brilliant idea at 2 AM, stumbling around my dark apartment – but here at the table, in the light of day, it did seem rather stupid.

"Don't listen to Kellan," Nikki jumped in, "He won't even admit to trying to write something. If you are interested and you want to – go for it. I mean, why not? What have you got to lose? If it is enjoyable, then who cares whether anyone else thinks it's good or not."

"Ya, Rob – tell us more – do you have any thoughts about the plot?" Kristen encouraged

"Well, I was thinking of basing it on the Goblet of Fire. I thought, at the end, when Cedric and Harry grab the goblet which is a port key to a graveyard where Cedric is murdered, I'm thinking, that's Edward, except he's a vampire so he has to fake being dead while everyone is all upset and crying over him, and requiring the family to leave. That was how I was thinking of ending it. I wasn't sure if I would just have them there for one year, or start it earlier…"

"Would this be pre or post Bella? Would she be human or vampire?" Jackson asked.

"I'm not really sure… Edward would love to have Bella there… but they would have to sleep in separate dormitories, which would be awkward if they are married – unless they somehow got to stay together as a family in town or in a cottage on the campus…" I was thinking out loud now, "But it would also ruin the follow up story if Edward doesn't ask out Cho Chang to the dance… so I'm undecided."

"Well, it would be funny to see Carlisle find out he isn't in Fine Arts class, and then try to shuffle his way through without any actual magic. I suppose he could do it, though." Kellan admitted, trying to smooth things over after his ribbing. I supposed he hadn't meant to be rude, or ridiculing. That was just his way…

"Thanks" I said. Maybe I would try writing a bit… It's not like it could be a significantly different process then writing a song, could it?


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9 Frustration

It was a blustery day…. No

It was a beautiful day…. No, no, no – who gives a bloody hell what kind of day it was…

It was the best of times…. AHHHHH – been done…

"Hey, kids, guess where we're going…" NO – too after-school special…

Why, WHY is this so hard? How in world do you begin one of these blasted stories?

Maybe I don't need to start it… maybe I'll just talk about Carlisle getting the job…

Carlisle getting the job….

How in the world would Carlisle even find out about a position at Hogwarts… and how would he fail to notice the "School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" tagged on the end… Is he an IDIOT???

Am I an idiot?

So, maybe someone comes to see him – asks him to come to Hogwarts...

How could that happen – wait, there was a werewolf… and a shape-shifting dog… What if there was somehow a connection to the Quellettes? Maybe a visitor to the Quellettes comes and asks Carlisle? But why – why would werewolves from another continent even know about Carlisle, or much less trust him? The Quellettes barely trust him…

The dark forest was full of dangerous creatures. What if there were vampires there? Let me think…

I took a deep breathe… I can do this… I write songs for Pete's sake – words and music. Surely I could write this!

_**Chapter 1: The Visitor**_

"_**Someone is coming to visit" Alice said, her eyes slightly unfocused. She was having one of her visions.**_

"_**Anyone we know?" Esme asked, nervously. It seemed that, in recent history anyway, those words were ominous… usually the beginning of trouble.**_

"_**No, nobody I recognize… Edward?"**_

_**I listened, trying to catch the thoughts of the stranger who approached us…**_

NO _** the approaching stranger… **_I backspaced hastily - much more ominous_…___

_**He knew Carlisle, or at least new of Carlisle.**_

Okay.. so, Rob, who is coming? And why am I referring to myself in the third person?

What if… what if Voldemort wanted to get someone inside Hogwarts… someone he believed would be sympathetic to his side… IF, there are vampires – they would be assumed to be dark creatures… IF he was in touch with the vampires, they could lead to Carlisle…

OF COURSE he would be in touch with vampires… He lived off the blood of unicorns in the Philosopher's Stone. There must be vampires and he must have become acquainted with them…

Other vampires would know about Carlisle. He is certainly unique enough among vampires, and he seemed to be well connected. He would be the only one who could live day in, day out with humans for an extended period of time. YES! That's it – that's the link – he is the only vampire that Voldemort could use to penetrate Hogwarts to do his bidding… HA!

But Carlisle would never do that… He would see Voldemort for what he really was and never go along with his evil plan… maybe… MAYBE Voldemort doesn't realize this… NO, of course he wouldn't. He would assume that Carlisle would be on the same side as the vampires… they are dark creatures, after all.

Then…. Oh…oh….Carlisle finds out what is going on and turns against Voldemort – that is why Voldemort kills Edward in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. YES!!! But wouldn't he realize that Edward couldn't be killed by the Avada Kedavra curse? Or could he? Hmmmmm… Surely Voldemort would know how to kill a vampire, regardless…

Plus, Voldemort needs someone in the Dark Arts position who will do his bidding… to plant the port key, and Carlisle would never do that willingly.

So that won't work then… BLASTED!!!

I drummed my fingers against the key board for several minutes, thinking.

Maybe it isn't Voldemort, or someone working for him… Maybe a letter is misdirected to Carlisle… by accident… Okay, even the Weasley's Owl isn't that lame. I sighed deeply in frustration.

Would Wizards know a vampire at sight? No, otherwise the plan wouldn't work. Could Carlisle accept the post, and bring the family as "muggles"? Or, once Carlisle realizes what he's got himself into, perhaps he plants the rest as Wizards? Maybe Voldemort doesn't know about the entire family…

But why would he be there in the first place?

What if, instead, it isn't Voldemort. What if it is Hagrid? Didn't Hagrid go to the giants to try and round up their support? Maybe he goes to Carlisle to try to get his support and help? Maybe Dumbledore is in on it – they bring Carlisle to Hogwarts to watch over Harry…

Ohhh, I like that…

Maybe, Harry's entrance into the Goblet of Fire is something that Dumbledore foresees – maybe a prophesy from that twit professor of prophesies, what was her name? Anyway - they enter Edward into the contest to watch over him… That might work… That really might work…

And, if Dumbledore is in on it, he could plant other wizards to cover for the vampires when they can't actually work magic. That could work, too…

But to cover for 8 vampires – or 7 if this is pre-Bella… That would mean bringing in a lot of Wizards… No, I don't think Dumbledore would do that, he would want to keep this close to his chest – only bring in a few trusted people – like McGonagall, and Snape... So, then, only a few vampires could be posing as Wizards.

If this was pre-Bella, then just Carlisle and Edward could go – but Esme wouldn't stay away for long… and they would want Alice for her power to see the future… And if Alice was there, Jasper would be there… and I can't see Emmett avoiding a fight… and the opportunity for Rosalie to walk around a boarding school, half full of hormonal male teens is just not something her ego would miss… plus that could be really funny… So they are all there… except maybe Bella… so what is their cover?

How do people do this? It is maddening! There are so many holes…

I suppose if I were to write something entirely original, it would be easier. I have to live within the rules of two different stories, two different worlds… I sighed. This is really, really hard!

I started turning off the computer… this was just too difficult. Why was I killing myself over this? It was just a story. I wouldn't even make any money off it. So what was the purpose? Yet, as I started to select shut down, I had an idea.

I reopened my document and started typing… Maybe I just needed to get it all down on paper.

_**Concept for Twilight/Harry Potter fan fiction:**_

_**Carlisle comes to Hogwarts to help Dumbledore. He comes as a professor – either Dark Arts, or perhaps Herbology, since the Dark Arts position is critical to the storyline, and it is reasonable that he could teach Herbology without any magical powers.**_

_**Edward also poses as a Wizard and is entered in the Tri-Wizard Tournament to watch after Harry Potter. He isn't magical, but has McGonagall and Snape to watch out for him… Perhaps he has an enchanted wand with a certain number of set spells that will work for him… Or, perhaps Dumbledore pairs him with another student who is in on it – like Cho… Maybe she knows and helps Edward, posing as his girlfriend.**_

_**Esme is Carlisle's muggle wife – and Alice and Jasper are their muggle children – that would take care of most of the rest of them. They attend school in town. But Alice remains an asset to Dumbledore because of her more consistent visions of the future and Jasper provides military knowledge and experience.**_

Emmett: hmmm… I KNOW!

_**Emmett is Hagrid's assistant as grounds keeper**_

He doesn't have to do magic and he would LOVE that… I can see him now, wrestling creatures in the dark woods…

_**Rosalie also attends school to keep an eye out for Edward from the female student perspective, taking only "non-magical" courses.**_

_**Bella…**_

Hmmm, still don't know what to do about Bella… Is she here or not? Would she stand by and allow Edward to be a part of this dangerous tournament, or sit by and allow him to 'date' another girl? Hard to see that happening.

But what kind of story would it be with out Bella?

I slowly typed, "not sure" as I glanced down at the clock on the laptop – 3:00 AM - WHAT? Man, I've got to get to bed. I have to be up at 6:00 AM again tomorrow, plus be up for a hockey game tomorrow night… I shook my head as I shut down the computer and went to bed.


	10. Chapter 10

Ch 10: Hockey Night in Canada

"Yawn…"

"Get lucky last night with some gooood fan fiction?" Kellan smirked, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

"Whatever, Kellan – why don't you get your mind out of the gutter?" I mumbled at him. I was on my fifth cappuccino and I didn't think I'd make it through the day… why did he have to raze me now?

"Oh, someone is a little testy" again with the eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes. "No, I wasn't up late reading suggestive Fan Fiction last night, Kellan" I shot him a look, "Unlike some people, I can find my satisfaction with a warm body, instead of a cold computer!"

"So, who is the lucky lady?" He teased back.

I wasn't going to win this argument. I was just too tired to out-think him today, as sad as that was. I sighed deeply, "I was just up late – no extra-curricular activities to speak of. Just leave me alone."

"Sure, man – but pull yourself together. Tonight is going to ROCK!" He said. If I was Edward, I would have probably heard the accompanying thought, 'and we don't need you to ruin it by being all grumpy and tired…'

"I'll try to find a moment to rest before tonight so I won't ruin your fun." I promised.

He broke into a wide smile, "Great!"

I survived the morning and joined the rest for lunch. Another huge yawn

"Wow, that is quite the impressive yawn," Kristen pointed out at lunch, "You've been pretty tired all morning. I thought we were over the 'reading fan fiction until the wee hours of the morning' thing."

"Funny, Kellan said something similar…" I replied without humour. All I really wanted to do was find a corner to curl up in.

The rest of the cast took their cue from my tone – and left me alone, going back to their meal. There was very little said and I guessed that I had ruined the mood for everyone. I supposed I really should try to be in better spirits, but I honestly didn't care right then.

I reached for my glass, then set it back down. I wasn't thirsty. I looked down at the plate of food before me. I wasn't hungry. I was just chasing the food around my plate, trying to find some way to comfortably rest my head on my hand.

BANG!!!

What? I thought a moment before the pain hit, and the anger flared up. Who hit me? Kellan? Jackson?

I picked my head up from the table to look at seven pairs of eyes staring back at me, each one a mixture of concern and amusement. I had fallen asleep and hit my head on the table – HARD. It throbbed. I lifted a hand to my head to assess the damage, and felt wetness – ouch that hurt. I pulled my hand away instantly to see a flash of red on my finger.

"Oh blasted – Chris is going to be pissed" I exclaimed.

The laughter, only barely held at bay, burst forth as water from a broken dam. I rolled my eyes, only bringing on more choruses of laughter. I sighed. I'd better go get this checked out…

"Of all the stupid…" Chris was upset. The hit on the head was minor, but the cut and the bump would take some make up and a bit of creative positioning to work around. "You're a professional, Rob – what were you thinking?"

"Ummm" I had mentioned that I had been up late the previous night and that I'd fallen asleep. I didn't mention what I had been doing and he didn't ask. I suppose he had been around long enough that he knew he didn't want to know. I frowned when I considered the possibilities he might consider.

"Forget it – get some sleep!"

"I very much regret this. It won't happen again."

"Well, it isn't a huge deal, just a nuisance… It looks like it should be barely noticeable by Monday."

"Thanks" I headed off to make up to see what they could do.

Fortunately, I was done a bit early. I headed back to my room to lie down before the game. I set the alarm to wake me in two hours, giving me time to put on some appropriate attire for sitting in a cold rink… I dozed off.

In what felt like two seconds, I was awake. Was it time already? I could have slept all night. Well, on with it. Get your spirits up, you've got a hockey game to be cheerful for.

Kellan, Jackson and Peter showed up at my door just thirty minutes later. I had jumped in the shower, hoping that would wake me up, dressed in jeans, with a dress shirt and a sweater… I figured it wouldn't be really cold, but I didn't want to get a chill. I shoved a hat on and followed them down to the lobby.

Kellan had arranged for a car to drive us – well, actually it was a Hummer Limo. Emmett would be proud, I thought sarcastically, This isn't conspicuous at all.

"This game is going to be AWESOME!" Kellan said excitedly as we made our way down to our seats… "Canucks have had a better season, but the Rangers just got Sean Avery back. He's my kind of player!"

"Ya, but can any of them get past Luongo – he's hot right now." Peter pointed out.

"The entire team is on fire. And the Western Division is just so strong this year – I don't think Rangers have a chance." Jackson argued. "Besides, they killed them back in November."

I had no idea what to say….

"Wanna make a bet?" Kellan challenged.

"Sure – let's make this friendly – fifty on Canucks." Jackson accepted

Peter and I looked at each other. This was just a little too close to… fiction.

I found hockey was better then I had expected. For a sport where the players protected themselves from head to toe in gear, it was actually a very brutal sport. Perhaps, because everyone is so protected, it becomes more brutal. I hadn't considered that previously. I might actually be able to get into this.

The game was fast paced and interesting. The Rangers were clearly out classed. Even my uneducated eyes could tell that. But it stayed reasonably close for most of the game, keeping the fans on the edge of their seats. Speaking of which, our seats were great. It was exciting to watch the line changes up close and personal and the interactions on the bench – the coaches encouraging the guys, yelling at some of them when they did something stupid.

It wasn't until part way through the third period that the game started to seem out of hand. Canucks were up by 4 goals. The crowd was sated from a recent win streak. There were cheers, but the energy level wasn't as high as it had been when the score was close. I sat back enjoying the camaraderie of friends, the shared pleasure of a clear win, and the slight buzz from a few glasses of Canadian beer on an empty stomach.

As I sat back my seat, I suddenly heard someone talk to me, directly.

"Dark and difficult times lie ahead, Rob, soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what it is easy."

What was that voice? It was familiar, and yet completely out of context. I looked around.

The rink had became dark. I could see no one around me. I was alone.

"Only you can do this, Rob"

Dumbledore? Why was he here at the hockey game?

"He's nothing but a spoiled brat. He is undisciplined, lazy…"

"No, Snape – I can do this. I can!"

"Of course you can, you have more then enough control"

"What do I do, Carlisle?"

"Find the will… Choose… Find the will."

"I'll do it, I'll do the story!"

I stood up, full of purpose and determination… I would do the story! I would find the will!

I was suddenly aware that I was back at GM Place. Kellan, Jackson and Peter were staring at me… along with a large number of fans in our section and a few of the Rangers in the bench five rows ahead of us.

"Ummm" I quickly sat back down.

Kellan was smirking.

I clearly needed to get more sleep… or therapy.


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 11 Clubbed

"So there we are in the third period. The game was just getting out of hand, nothing really happening, when Pattinson starts snoring… It wasn't light. I tried elbowing him, but he was clearly out it…. Then he mumbles 'Dumbledore?'" To my chagrin, Kellan was recounting the story for the girls.

"It wasn't loud. I just barely heard him…" Jackson added.

"Then, he speaks, clear as day, 'No, Snape – I can do this. I can!" Kellan added, "At this point, we tried to shake him a bit, but he just asks, 'What do I do, Carlisle? just a bit louder."

"Ya, Peter heard him then, and recognized the line from Twilight. He leaned over and tried to wake Rob up." Jackson defended. "We were just about to grab him and really shake him up…

"When he jumps to his feet and yells, 'I'll do it, I'll do the story!" Kellan practically shouted, as he slapped his leg, "I just about pissed in my pants. It was the most hilarious thing I've every seen."

Jackson grinned, "Only a couple of the Rangers looked back to see what was happening – I saw just Stall and Naslund turn round for sure."

"I think it was on highlights of the night." Kellan grinned, teasing me.

I cringed. It actually was – but fortunately there has been no audio evidence of my total and utter humiliation… so I just looked like an over-excited fan.

"Well, at least tonight, there will be a lot of loud music to drown you out," Ashley suggested brightly.

"Thanks." I replied grimly…

"Don't feel so bad. It was freekin' hilarious." Kellan gave me a playful punch. "You were the highlight of my night!"

I knew reacting wouldn't help, but what I really wanted to do was slam my fist right in Kellan's face and make him shut up. Instead, I just shrugged my shoulders, "At least I entertain."

Peter had remained pretty quiet the whole time, just watching me as Kellan recounted the story for everyone else. He didn't say much in the limo either. At least this limo was more conventional, classy – a little less obvious. Ashley had taste. We drove down an alley way, where the limo parked and let us out. A well dressed host met us at the rear service entrance.

"Welcome. We are so pleased you could join us tonight. Let me show you to your tables." She spoke smoothly with no hint of the eagerness that often accompanied wait staff when they saw they were serving famous people… It was a good sign.

The music in the club was great – a mix of newer, techno remixes, with a few classic disco pieces and some rock for good measure… the energy was high, the lights flashing to the beat of the music. Everyone was on the floor, dancing up a storm. I had been right – it was great being here with female friends. I could dance with Kristen, Nikki, Ashley or Elizabeth and it was just fun. I didn't have to try to impress – just have a great time.

After a few numbers, I found a seat at our table and looked for the waiter to order a drink – time to re-hydrate! Peter came over and sat next to me.

"Are you okay" he yelled above the music.

"Yes, I'm having a great time – how about you?" I yelled back.

"Oh, ya, I'm having a great time, too! But that's not what I meant."

"What?"

"That's not what I meant… I was just wondering if everything is okay?"

"What?"

"Never mind… what are you drinking?"

"Guinness"

"I'll get you one."

He headed off to the bar and brought back our drinks. He didn't try to talk, it wasn't exactly the place… it was too loud to hold a conversation.

Just then, the waiter brought over another pint… "It's from the ladies at the booth in the corner."

I looked up to a table of 5 girls could looked barely legal. I politely picked up the pint and mouthed, "thank you." As I set it back down, I noticed the number scrawled on the napkin. I looked back across the room. One of the five, a short haired brunette – cute – looked like fun – put her thumb and pinkie to her head and mouthed "call me"… I sighed, and smiled back. Another girl who wanted to get it on with 'Edward'…

We stayed late, enjoying the night life of the club and the company of each other – as well as a few drinks – one or two of them on the tab of a female patron at the club… It was harmless, but really, I liked the idea of doing the chasing…

It was 2 AM as we piled back in the limo.

"So, did either of you get 604-356-1256?" Kellan laughed.

I was momentarily puzzled until Jackson shouted out, "Bingo!" They were comparing whether or not a girl gave their number to more then one of us… I looked down. Yes, I had that number too… the cute short haired brunette who looked underage.

"So, either of you going to call her? She was kind of cute!" Kellan asked.

"She looked barely legal… I doubt she was." I responded.

"She'd have to be, to be in the club." He argued back.

I just raised my eyebrows, "be my guest"

The girls just rolled their eyes at us. "That is really sick, you guys – comparing notes on the girls – objectifying them like that." Nikki started in on us.

"Hey, they gave us their numbers. It's not like we asked." Kellan defended. "Didn't anyone give you their number?"

"Guys don't give numbers, they ask for them, and I don't give mine out – and if they gave me theirs I wouldn't call…" She huffed back.

There was very little chattering on the way back. The small argument, the drinks and the fatigue were catching up with all of us.

As we got back to the hotel and headed back to our rooms, Peter caught up with me.

"Hey, Robert – do you want to meet up for lunch or brunch tomorrow? Say about 11:30?"

"Sure, that should give me time to sleep in – see you then."

"Night."

It didn't occur to me until after I got into my suite and half way ready for bed to ask why...


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 12 The Sunday Morning After

At least I wasn't asking, "Baby, who the hell are you." But that was about all I could say was good this particular Sunday morning. I had a serious hang over. I wasn't usually this bad, but I had been provided with a few too many gratis drinks last night, on top of the few I purchased myself at the beginning, and I had skipped supper again in lieu of sleep… This morning, I was hurting.

I finally convinced my body to move at 10:30. It was going to take a bit extra time to get going this morning… First things first – water… that always helped. I quickly downed two bottles of water. I should have done that last night, I thought grimly. Now, some food. I made toast and let it cool – how we ate it back home – and enjoyed it with a bit of butter and jam. That was all my stomach could handle… then the shower.

After standing in the hot stream for 20 minutes, my mind started to clear. I washed my hair and then turned the water to a cooler temperature… Whew! That woke up the senses.

I got out feeling much more human and got dressed. It was 11:20… I had ten minutes before meeting Peter for lunch or brunch – whatever. Just enough time to wonder what this was about. Maybe he asked us all to join up – but I was suspicious. He made a point of asking me away from the rest… No, I was pretty sure this was going to be just the two of us.

"Good morning, Peter," I said as I greeted him at the door. "Where are we off to?"

"I thought we'd check out this little breakfast place around the corner. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure."

The walk in the brisk morning air was even better then the shower. I was almost ready to actually eat something by the time we got to the café. It was a small little place, just a hole in the wall, but it looked like the kind of place that made good breakfast.

"I figured you probably wouldn't have eaten much breakfast yet, and I knew I was sleeping in after last night – so this seemed like a good bet."

"Good idea" I replied. It actually was. I was started to warm up to the idea of eggs and hash browns.

We ordered coffee and tea, then our menu choices, then sat back and waited.

"So, are you doing okay, Robert? I noticed you've been tired the last little while." He smiled, I assumed pleased that he had actually noticed, "I was just wondering if there was anything you wanted to talk about?"

"Not really, Peter, I just need to be more disciplined, you know, get myself to bed on time." I replied.

"Sure, just asking… after Friday, well, I was just a little worried. I wouldn't want you to be getting stressed out from the pressure of 'being Edward' and all that seems to entail. With the increase in popularity, there is lot of pressure… and you have had a lot more responsibility on this project with all the press and interviews. Just know that, if you need to talk, I can listen."

"Sure, thanks…" I replied.

He let it go immediately, which I greatly appreciated. He was a kind person, he cared – but he wasn't going to push it if I didn't want to talk. And, I didn't want to talk. It was embarrassing…

"You know, it's no big deal" I heard myself saying. What was I doing? Why is my mouth moving? Without warning, it all came out: "It is just the fan fiction – I started reading it a little over a week ago, as you know, and I was just getting that in hand, when I decided to try writing something… Time just flies by and before I know it, it's two or three in the morning…" I blurted out, cringing at what he would think of me.

"Oh, I see… Well, then just set an alarm on your computer to remind you when to go to bed. It's all about balance."

"Oh… That is actually an excellent idea." I replied. It was! Why hadn't I thought of that? "Thank you!"

"Not a problem… so what about those phone numbers? You sure got a lot of napkins last night." He was probing, I knew. I didn't know what to say – I didn't know what I would do with the small wad of napkins still crumpled up in the pocket of my jeans that were lying on the floor where I had dropped them last night.

I laughed, "That is still weird, you know… back in England, I would go to a pub and check out the girls… If I saw one who looked interesting, I would approach them, try get her to talk to me and more often then not, get shot down… The attention is worse in LA, as I'm sure you've noticed."

"Well, I don't spend a lot of time at clubs on my own – at least not since I got married."

"Ah, yes, I wasn't thinking… Anyway, I get too little sleep as it is now" I smiled – what a boring life I led, working long days, spending my nights on the Internet or playing music in my room… I needed to get a life.

"That is the life. Everyone thinks it is so glamorous. I suppose, at times it is, but when you are actually shooting, it is just work. But it's fun and the pay is good." He smiled.

"Yes, sir!" I smiled back

As we finished our food and paid the waitress, Peter announced, "Well, I have some script rewrites to go over and I'm going to Skype Jenny and the kids. I am hoping to get back down there next weekend, or have them come up for a visit…"

"Have a great visit. I think I'll take a walk around the block – clear my head…"

"Later…" He said as we parted ways.


	13. Chapter 13

Ch. 13 Balance

I decided to take Peter's advice to heart, and work on balance. I had a good long walk after our brunch and thought over things. What was I really doing with my life? Sure, I had a promising career and a great bunch of people to work with, but what happened when that ended? I hadn't really spent time with the old blokes from England…. In fact I hadn't really called or emailed any of my friends… And what about girls? Sure, I could chase tail with the rest of them, but eventually I wanted to find someone real, someone substantial… someone I could really talk to. I didn't think that was going to happen at a club. Of course, that was years away…

Not that I wanted to make any big changes – this wasn't a "what is life all about" thing. Just that I needed to find better balance… especially if I was going to survive this movie. I needed to get more sleep.

So, I made a midnight rule on work days – I would set the alarm on my laptop to 11:45 to give myself 15 minutes… And I decided I needed to get out and take a walk now and then. Fortunately, we were able to do that in Vancouver – people were reasonably respectful… Sure, a few paparazzi would get some candid shots, but of what – of me walking? So what…

With that determination I headed back to my suite… I also wanted to write. Even if I never posted it, I thought it was a good skill to develop. I wouldn't always get leading man roles in blockbuster hits. It would be good to have something to fall back on. So what if this was fan fiction… It would be a good place to start…

I decided to give myself 4 hours to work on the 'Cullens go to Hogwarts' story before I broke off and emailed some friends… that seemed like a good start.

First I scanned the fan fics for updates. I hadn't checked since the middle of the week, so there were several… I ended up reading for well over an hour. There was one author who seemed to have some real insight into Edward… She or he, I supposed – the screen name, 'Emmett is HOT' wasn't necessarily gender specific. I decided to ask to be friends so I could see their profile – maybe I could tell more about the person. Wouldn't it be funny if it ended up being Kellan, I chuckled. I would tease him mercilessly!

But before I could request their friendship I had to have a profile of my own. I had avoided this up until now, not wanting to become visible on the Internet, afraid some super sleuth reporter would figure out it was me and it would be splashed all over the papers, every comment, every thing in my profile.

But I didn't have to use my name… In fact I didn't have to use anything real. I wondered how many of the under 20 year old girls were actually 50 plus year old men in cyber-drag. I cringed at the thought. Well, I didn't need to lie, just be a little creative… Plus, if I ever decided to post my story, I would have to have a profile... so I dove in…

Name: hmmm how about Cullan_man? No, that is probably already used… I wanted something unique, and yet not too obvious. Something Kellan or Kristen or one of the others would appreciate… Oh, I know Edward_pays_the_Rent… I chucked. Well, it was true!

Gender: male, of course, but do I really want to put personal info out there, I wondered. There were several options to leave things reasonably obscure. I decided to choose those options.

I ignored the list of profile questions as well… I figured, leave it as generic as possible.

Then I found 'Emmett is HOT' and requested their friendship. They were online and accepted my friendship right away, so I checked out their profile… again non-specific. Hmmm… Maybe it was Kellan.

Then I got an email notifying me of an update on that persons' fan fic… This was brilliant! I hadn't thought of this. I quickly went through and found all the other pieces I was interested in, sending each writer a friend request, mentioning that I would love to receive updates on their fan fics. This would certainly save me time clicking through pages of comments and stories trying to find out if one was updated.

Should I comment, I wondered. This was getting a little weird… Well, what could it hurt? Kellan and Elizabeth said they commented… I found one that I really liked but hadn't updated in awhile. Perhaps I could encourage them to post the next chapter… I started typing:

'_**I really enjoy your fan fic. It is great. I hope you post another chapter very soon.'**_

I looked over my comment. It was lame. I thought about what Kellan had said. Should I add in an "AWESOME!!!" for good measure? No, I decided, it just wasn't me… I clicked on 'Add Reply'… Oh, I have 15 minutes to edit my reply… Maybe I should change it? I clicked on the reply box and tried to think of something brilliant to say… I recalled that Elizabeth said she would try to say something specific she liked…

'_**I really enjoy your fan fic. You have a good sense of each character's personality. I hope you post another chapter very soon.'**_

It still looked kind of lame, but it would do. I clicked on 'Save' and resisted the urge to edit it again.

I realized I was stalling… I needed to get to work.

I opening up the start of my story – but I was stumped… I just couldn't get started. The more I thought about the plot and the twists and turns of the Goblet of the Fire, the more I wondered if it was even possible… How was Edward even going to get through the three tasks without magic or significant assistance from others?

I realized then I was stumped because I was trying to figure it all out at once. If I could only figure out one part, maybe I could get started.

I read over my work from before and drummed my fingers steadily over the keyboard… Well, I could at least decide on Bella. Maybe I should just focus on that. Bella… I couldn't imagine writing the story without her, yet her presence was fraught with problems. Still, she had to be there. So, I decided – Bella was in!

Now, human Bella or vampire Bella… Bella at all was going to be an issue. She wasn't going to be happy with Edward participating in the three tasks, although that part was easier. She would support him in doing good for someone else, even if she didn't like the danger. The more significant issue was her being there and not being with Edward… If she was a vampire and they were already married, with all that entailed – I grinned - it would be nearly impossible… it might be more possible if they were only engaged and she was still human and things were a little less… involved… Plus clumsy, human Bella was much funnier… I chuckled, imagining Bella falling down one of the moving staircases into thin air, and Edward having to run and save her before she hit the floor, without giving himself away…

Yes, human Bella was in…

I checked the clock – What? How? It had already been four and a half hours… Time to email some friends and make some calls.

I reluctantly logged out.


	14. Chapter 14

NOTE: When I wrote this I was on another site that worked a little differently. I'm revising it to fit this site, but the past few chapters did include references to features that aren't the same here. Sorry!

Ch. 14 Identities

"So, Rob" Kellan started at lunch. I feared some major teasing coming. I was sure he thought of some good lines on Sunday, and saved them up until we were all together. "Are you done your masterpiece?"

"What?"

"You know the one you professed so adamantly you were going to write?"

Yes, he did save them up… I braced myself. More was sure to follow.

"Did Dumbledore send you on special assignment on Sunday?"

Bring it on, I thought…

There was a pause… I looked up.

"Okay, man, that's all I've got." Kellan resigned…

"I'm sure you'll think up more tonight." I replied.

He grinned. The rest of the crew laughed, but not whole heartedly. I hoped they were feeling at least little sympathy for me.

"Your screen name wouldn't happen to be 'Emmett is HOT'" I asked innocently…

He stared at me, "Why?"

Because I was reading a very fascinating fan fiction yesterday by someone with that name… I wondered if it was you. It was very sensitive and insightful – really understood the underpinnings of true love and devotion." I smirked at him.

"Nope, not me. Like I said, I don't write." Kellan stated.

"Sure." I smiled back.

"But, guess what I did do last night on the fan fiction site?" He said excitedly. It seemed to me he was trying to deflect my hinted accusation.

"What?" Ashley asked, getting into the conversation.

"I sent a message to one of the writers on the site – I picked someone who was writing some really juicy stuff. I told them I was really me and that I really liked their fan fiction." He laughed.

"You did what?" Kristen said, shocked.

"I told the writer who I was and that I really liked their fan fic… I figured if they were that creative in their writing, they deserved to know that I really liked it…" Kellan defended. "Like Pattinson said the other day if they are that creative in their writing, they might be, well, interesting…"

Ashley laughed, "Ya, but did they believe you?"

"I don't know… I haven't received a reply yet."

"Anyone could say they are you… Thank about it, Kellan – if someone emailed you and said they were, I don't know, Gisele Bundchen and they liked your acting, what would you do?" Nikki argued.

"I would ask her for her number and call her immediately!"

Of course you would, I thought, shaking my head.

"So, how is your fan fiction coming?" Ashley asked me, truly curious.

"Not well, really. It's a lot harder then it looks. I read some of the stuff on the site and I thought 'I could do that' but the more I think it through, the more issues that come up… I just can't seem to get started." I answered, truthfully. "But, at least I got to bed at a decent time last night." I smiled.

"Thank goodness for that!" Kristen replied. I guess I hadn't been the most pleasant person to work with lately.

Peter just looked and me and smiled. I nodded back in acknowledgement of his advice. I was definitely in a better mood today…

"How about you, Ashley? How is your 'Alice and Bella go to New York to be models' piece coming?"

"Actually, I found some time yesterday afternoon to make some adjustments. I think I'll actually post the first few chapters."

"I think that is really great!" Elizabeth chimed in.

"Thanks" Ashley looked pleased.

"Hey, what is your screen name – I'll look you up…" Kristen asked…

The discussion broke into sharing screen names, for those of us who had them, and what we were reading at the moment. I noticed the Kellan didn't offer his actual screen name, making me more suspicious as to whether he actually was 'Emmett it HOT'.

So have you picked a screen name yet, Rob?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, I went on last night and started a profile… I considered a few things, but settled on 'Edward_pays_the_Rent'. I figure, it's kind of true, you know?

"That's great, Rob. Humorous." Jackson chuckled.

"It's really very cleaver." Nikki said, "Original"

"Thanks…" I was pleased it was a hit, "I was wondering, what did you guys do about the profile? I just left it blank. I figured less is more, you know?"

"NO, NO, NO, that is exactly wrong." Kellan piped up then, "If you don't put anything down, EVERYONE will assume you are an insider… The more you put, the more people assume you are just a regular person…"

"Really?" I couldn't imagine how that would make a difference.

"Sure, the less you give, the more people think you are trying to hide. When I first got on, I totally filled out my profile… I just made stuff up."

"What about when you make a comment that is totally out of line with your 'on line' character?" Ashley asked, suspiciously. "I mean, I put down things I like and stuff, but I just put in the truth, except I didn't use my name. That way I don't have to worry about it."

"Nobody really reads all that stuff anyway. They just look to see if you've filled it in. If you haven't they'll assume…" Kellan advised.

I wasn't sure he was right, but I thought, maybe I should fill it out a bit… Then again, this was the same guy who emailed a fan and told them his true identity. I shook my head.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Contact

The balance thing was going well… After we finished shooting for the day, I grabbed a quick dinner, and headed out for a walk. It was only misty as I left the hotel, but it started raining in earnest after I had walked up about 2 blocks… so I started ducking into little shops along the way. It was a nice distraction and I realized how much of the city I had missed by staying in my room.

However, I just couldn't shake my curiosity… Had anyone posted any updates? Was I ever going to be able to start my fan fiction piece? Should I see if anyone else had an incomplete profile? Should I complete mine? By the time I got back to the hotel I was soaked and anxious to get upstairs. I ran to the elevator and tapped my foot impatiently the entire ride up. This was getting a little out of hand. I was going to need to go to Twilight Fan Fiction Anonymous or something…

I hadn't remembered to set my alarm after my walk on Sunday, so I decided that was the first thing... just to make sure I got enough sleep. Then I checked my messages – ah, 5 messages. I excitedly clicked on my inbox to see who had updated their fan fics. Oh, only 3 updates – the other two were a petition for Stephanie Meyer to finish Midnight Sun and the other was a notice of a new Fan Fic site that would allow MA rated material… I hadn't realized there was a restriction. I clicked back over to the guidelines and read the rules – Oh, I see it now – we could only do a maximum M rating. Kellan would be disappointed. HA, he probably already has a profile on the other site…

I read the three updated Fan Fics, then settled in to do a little writing. I decided I needed to really get something down. Maybe I could write part of the first chapter. I read what I had already written, and then started writing…

_**Chapter 1: The Visitor**_

"_**Someone is coming to visit" Alice said, her eyes slightly unfocused. She was having one of her visions.**_

"_**Anyone we know?" Esme asked, nervously. It seemed that, in recent history anyway, those words were ominous… usually the beginning of trouble.**_

"_**No, nobody I recognize… Edward?"**_

_**I listened, trying to catch the thoughts of the approaching stranger… He knew Carlisle, or at least new of Carlisle. "Do you know someone called "Hagrid?" I asked Carlisle?**_

"_**Hagrid?" He replied… Hagrid… there is only one Hagrid I have ever heard of, and I wasn't even sure if he was real… Could it be?**_

_**I puzzled over his thoughts. It was clear this was not someone Carlisle had met, but what did he mean that he wasn't even sure he existed.**_

"_**Oh my… Oh my…" Alice's face went blank again. I watched as she saw the stranger approaching… now noticing something was different, but it took me a few moments to figure out what. He was walking alone, but he seemed out of place, or wrong. Then I saw what it was – he was too big… Or the trees were too small. The landscape looked familiar – I could see the recognizable driveway up to our house, the familiar foliage lining the way… but this guy was huge in comparison.**_

"_**This Hagrid you knew of – was he… excessively large?" Alice asked.**_

_**Oh my, he is real… Carlisle's thoughts alarmed me. "Esme prepare the house. I don't know what to expect, but this is unusual. It is best to be prepared."**_

_**Esme quickly flipped the switch that pulled metal shutters over the solid glass back of the house. Carlisle called us all down to the front room to prepare.**_

"_**We have a visitor – someone who, until now, I wasn't even sure existed. His name is Hagrid – he his half giant, half human, or at least that is what the lore says. From what I had heard, he is friendly and is usually good hearted, but I don't know anything for certain. As I said, until just now, I didn't even know he existed for certain."**_

I realized then that I had automatically began writing from Edward's perspective. I briefly considered this… Should this be from Carlisle's perspective instead? It is more of his story… Then again, Edward just seems to come naturally. I'm in his head all day, it is almost like writing from my own point of view – I laughed. Maybe I do need therapy. Or at least I might after these films are over.

I could feel myself getting into a rhythm, like writing music. I continued…

_**The tension was high as we waited in silence, not sure what the night would bring. I was thankful that Bella was safely at home in her bed, though a part of me desperately wanted to have her by my side, just to know that she was safe with me. My logical side knew better. If things went terribly wrong tonight, it would be better that she was at home.**_

_**Thump, Thump, Thump… the knocking at the front door sounded like someone was trying to break it down with a club. Jasper, Emmett and I got in defensive positions around the door, prepared to jump in if needed. Alice's face went blank as she focused on the immediate future. Esme and Roslie stood to one side, ready to attack if it came to that.**_

"_**It will be okay." Alice finally said. We breathed a collective sigh of relief, "He has a message for Carlisle… and Edward. It affects us all." Suddenly she was grinning. I searched her vision to see why.. Oh, this could be interesting.**_

"_**Well, I guess I should welcome our visitor," Carlisle stated, not sure what Alice had seen but taking her word that there was no danger. "Good evening" he said to the stranger as he opened the door, "Welcome to my home. My name is Carlisle. Would you like to come in?"**_

I continued along the opening chapter – the discussion between Hagrid and the Cullens – outlining the issue – Trelawney (I had to Google Harry Potter to finally come up with her name) had one of her infrequent, but accurate prophesies that Harry Potter would somehow be entered into the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which was riddled with peril. Dumbledore had met Carlisle back when he was in England, and knew he was a trust-worthy man, even though he was a vampire. Also, everyone was known – he needed someone who was unknown to come to Hogwarts to look out for Harry Potter.

I didn't know how exactly I was going to work out some of the details, so I was purposely vague. This made sense since Hagrid wouldn't necessarily have all the details – only an overview in order to get Carlisle to come help. I ended with Carlisle agreeing to come to Hogwarts to talk with Dumbledore for more details… That seemed like a good place to end.

I briefly wondered, would Alice be able to see Hagrid? There seemed to be some issue with her vision. She couldn't see the wolves or Renesmee… there was that comment about them being half breeds. But the wolves weren't half breeds… Carlisle said something about the chromosomal count. It's possible that Hagrid would have the same chromosomal count as humans… I decided she must be able to see him – it was vital to the story. Besides I already wrote the opening paragraphs.

I saved the document and stood up from my computer, stretching. Wow, that felt – really good. I felt like I had actually accomplished something. Amazing! Still, I didn't know how I was going to deal with Edward not being magical. I had ideas, but I wasn't sure about any of them. I wish I had someone to bounce ideas off of…

I looked at the clock. Wow, I still had 20 minutes before my pre-midnight alarm went off. That was a change. I decided to investigate this 'Emmett is HOT' person… It had to be Kellan. It sounded so much like him! I found him on my author alert list, clicking on the link to his page… Yes, it was very vague, unlike how Kellan had professed. But it could be a ruse – throwing us off the trail. Especially if he was embarrassed about his fan fiction which was, actually, very good – but very NOT Kellan.

I considered how I could catch him. He already knew my user id, so if I contacted him he would know it was me. And he knew that I suspected he was Emmett is HOT… so he would be careful. Maybe I could just get him talking and trick him into saying something that would give him away. It would be kind of satisfying to have something on him. He always had such great jabs and one-liners…

I know, I will ask about my story… Kellan always loved giving his opinion on how things should be done in fan fiction… Surely he wouldn't resist the opportunity to reply, even if he knew it was me. I was about to compose an email, when the thought hit me, what if it isn't Kellan? What if it is a total stranger? What would they think of me asking for their advice? Hmmmm… Well, they won't know it is really me. And, I could start out complementing their work. Besides, I was pretty sure it was Kellan – it was just too suspicious to me. I started to type.

_**Hi Emmett is HOT,**_

_**I have been following your Fan Fic and I really am enjoying it. It is well written and you really have a good sense of EPOV.**_

I figured this was the appropriate short form from reading other's comments – making it sound more authentic__

_**I hope you continue with your story. It is good.**_

_**I have a question… I am writing my first Fan Fic and I am having trouble getting it all figured out. I have the first chapter drafted, but I don't know how to plot out the entire story. I keep running into dead ends in the plot. I am wondering if you have any suggestions – or could you tell me how you go about writing?**_

_**Thank you, Edward_Pays_the_Rent**_

I read and re-read my email. I realized I hadn't said what exactly I was writing. But then I decided to leave it vague for now, just in case it was someone else. There was no sense in embarrassing myself further if they shot down the idea. I hit send and then waited….

I refreshed my page… no reply.

I drummed my fingers on the keyboard and hit refresh again… no replay.

Hmmm. I went back to my outbox and clicked Emmett is HOT… He probably isn't even on line. Then I laughed at myself. Even if he was on line, he was probably reading some raunchy fan fic. It was ridiculous to think that someone would be just sitting there, waiting for an email to immediately prepare a response. Get a grip, Rob!

The alarm went off then, so I logged out, shut down and went to bed.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Inspiration

I awoke with a start… what time is it? I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock… 5:30 AM. What am I doing awake. I don't need to be at makeup until 7:00… I tried to lie back and close my eyes, but I couldn't go to sleep… my mind was racing. I couldn't do anything, but write. Finally I got up, grabbed the laptop and pulled it back to my bed, sitting cross-legged while I typed.

I was like someone possessed. I couldn't not write. After so many days of trying to write, of trying to figure out the story, of trying think things through, now all I could do is write… It was like I went under, drowned in the story – forgot life, forgot food, forgot air. All I knew were my characters and my story… I had never experienced this kind of passion – this kind of overwhelming insanity…

I finally came up for air after finishing the first three chapters and looked at the clock. Oh, my – I had ten minutes to get to makeup. Forget the shower… I just threw on some clothes and headed for the studio as quickly as I could. I cringed, realizing that someone, probably Kellan, would raze me about this too.

"Hey, Rob" Ashley greeted me at lunch.

"Hello Ashley."

"We had a pretty good shoot this morning."

"Yes, it seems to be going well. The weather had definitely been cooperating a little better this time around."

"Yeh" she chuckled. "So what have you been doing with your free time – you know other then hockey and clubbing…"

"Well, I'm trying to get out for a walk. I ended up checking out a bunch of little shops around the hotel yesterday – more by accident then anything. It started raining, so I looked for cover. There are some pretty cool places, though. And, I guess, reading fan fiction – as you know…"

"Did you catch mine? I posted it last night."

"Really? That is brilliant! No, I didn't see it, but I'll look for it tonight for sure. I am sure it will be great."

"It's been a lot of fun to write. I had to go back and do some editing – you know to fix all the factual errors that Kellan pointed out – but it has been a lot of fun. The neat part is that I am feeling more connected with my character, which is great since she has a bigger role in this film. I love Alice – she is such a cool character – so fun and full of life."

"That is really great, Ashley. You know, I've been writing too."

"I heard about that. Well, actually I heard Kellan teasing you about it. Did you end up doing anything with it? I know you could do a good job with it…"

"Well, actually" I didn't know whether to really get into it or not. It was kind of personal… though that was silly, if I was going to end up posting on a website for all the world to see. But how did I talk about what happened this morning in contrast with the struggle I had gone through over the past several days. Would Ashley understand? I decided to take a chance. "I got the idea in the middle of the night one night last week… that was the day before Kellan teased me about it. Then, in the light of day, it did seem rather silly. And I couldn't seem to make anything of it. I wrote notes and ideas… Then yesterday I actually got through the first chapter, but it was tough sledding… and then…"

I paused for a minute to reconsider. This was going to sound a little crazy, but I was comfortable with Ashley. She would be supportive. "This morning I woke up at 5:30 and I just had to write. I completed three chapters seemingly effortlessly. It just flowed out of me… It was like… I don't know. It was a really incredible experience." I was a little breathless recounting it… I had almost forgotten Ashley was there, until she responded.

"That is… incredible." Her eyes flashed with the shared excitement. "I sounds like you were inspired. You know when I was writing it wasn't exactly like that – but sometime things flowed easier then others… it felt good then."

I was so glad I had shared with her. "It felt good to me too!" I grinned.

I ended the day with another walk. This time I headed off in another direction. The night the guys took me out for "our little intervention" we went to a restaurant near Gastown… The area looked interesting, so I decided to go for a walk around there. I found the most interesting little shop that sold only kites. There were also some great art shops, including one that specialized in Inuit art. For once, I lost track of time and it wasn't pouring over a laptop.

I ended up back at my hotel at 10 pm, later then I had planned, but I felt like I was alive. I checked my messages for updates – 4 messages. Three were updates and one was from 'Emmett is HOT'… I started with that, anxious to hear some advice.

'_**Dear Edward_pays_the_Rent,**_

_**I love your screen name. So creative. I laughed when I saw it.**_

_**Thank you sooo much for your encouragement. It helps to keep writing when you know people appreciate your story.**_

_**You asked about my writing process. I don't really have a set process. I write when I enjoy it, and I quit when I am feeling tired or bored. If I force it too long, it turns to crap and I end up deleting it anyway. When I first started writing, I thought I needed to figure it all out before I started, but then I found that some things just worked themselves out as I wrote. Sometimes, when I start a story, the first chapter is crap, but you just have to get to know the characters… then once you are properly acquainted, you can tell their story. I know that sounds irrationally romantic – but that is kind of how it works for me.**_

_**I guess too, when I am re-writing a chapter from EPOV, I read the chapters up to and following the chapter I am writing. Then I go over sections and I try to picture what actually happened and imagine what Edward was thinking… I replay the story with different possibilities to see if it fits… then I write what seems to make sense to me.**_

_**I know, it's not scientific, but then again, writing isn't science – it's art… That probably doesn't help you a whole lot, but it answers your question.**_

_**Now you have me curious. What is your story line?**_

_**Happy writing!**_

_**Emmett is HOT!**_

I read it over twice. I don't know what I had expected. Maybe some magical formula or 10 step program to happy writing. But as I read the response over and over, something resonated with me. I had to get acquainted with the story and then, this morning – inspiration. Not that I hoped this would happen regularly, but some of what he or she said made sense. The other thing that struck me was this really did not sound like Kellan. Maybe I was wrong. I needed to be sure so I wrote back:

_**Dear Emmett is HOT!**_

_**As far as screen names go – yours is pretty interesting. I am curious as to the inspiration. I guess it is clearly obvious, but wondering why you chose it.**_

_**Thank you for sharing your process. It is helpful.**_

_**I am trying to write a cross-literary piece where the Cullens to go Hogwarts based upon the Goblet of Fire. The basic plot is that Dumbledore gets a prophesy that Harry Potter is going to be entered into the contest so the family moves to Hogwarts and Edward enters the competition to keep an eye on Harry.**_

_**Is that ridiculous? Do you think I am insane for trying to write this?**_

_**Thanks again for your advice.**_

_**Edward_pays_the_Rent**_

It would be interesting to read the response. I could picture Kellan playing it up, just to make me think it was someone else.

I read the fan fic updates that can come through and then realized it was already 11:15pm. I didn't figure I had time to get back into my story, then I remembered Ashley's story. I searched through the site and found it. It was already four chapters long, so I settled into read it before going to bed.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Who am I Talking to?

I didn't have a repeat of yesterday's early morning bout of inspiration, but I was satisfied with the three chapters I had already completed.

We were moving into the return scene from Italy… moving from the beginning to the end of the movie. It made more sense to do this then pulling the rest of the cast back later. I was saddened to think that, in the not too distant future, the bulk of the 'Cullens' would be gone. The last couple weeks had been a lot of fun, despite my making a fool of myself.

I caught up with Ashley at lunch.

"I started reading your story last night. It is really entertaining. I found myself getting into the story line."

"Really, you like it?" Ashley beamed.

"I checked it out too," Kristen added, walking up to join us for lunch. "It was great."

"NO, it was AWESOME!!!!" Kellan boomed. I could literally see the multiple exclamation marks in his voice.

"I thought you said it was a bad idea – that it couldn't work…" Ashley threw back at him, playfully.

"Well, I stand corrected." Kellan replied. That was one of the good things about Kellan, he might raze you mercilessly and cut something down without thinking, but he was quick to admit when he had been wrong and it didn't seem to bug him at all.

"Speaking of which, when is your literary masterpiece being published? I assume the house elves are busy transcribing making multiple copies to have on the shelves in time for the Christmas rush?" Kellan teased.

I spoke, or thought too soon… I rolled my eyes at his comment. "The house elves work for Wizards, not Santa Claus" I replied wryly.

"True… perhaps Dumbledore will wave his magic wand and it will be published for the summer reading crowd."

I just rolled my eyes.

"Why don't you just lay off" Jackson said a little forcefully with a playful punch. "At least Rob is putting himself out there."

"Oh, he put himself out there, all right! Right on TSN!" Kellan boomed.

"Thanks for trying" I said softly to Jackson… He just shrugged back.

After that night's walk I checked my emails before writing. There were a few updates, but mostly I was anxious to see if there was a reply from Emmett is HOT. There was – now to see if this was Kellan…

_**Dear Edward_pays_the_Rent,**_

_**I think your idea is hilarious. Very creative. It sounds like something Rob would write – combining his two characters… **____** I would be interested in reading it. When are you going to post?**_

_**Regarding the name – it's kind of a long story… The short version, I was signing up to the site with a bunch of friends. They were all picking I love Edward, Edward's girl, Ms. Cullen, etc… I wanted something different, so I sort of went over the top with Emmett.**_

_**Keep writing, **_

_**Emmett is HOT**_

I frowned. This really didn't sound like Kellan. Unless he was really, really good at messing with my head. I was cautious in my reply, not wanting to give Kellan something to tease about if it was him, but also not wanting to look like an idiot if it was someone else.

_**Dear Emmett is HOT**_

_**Funny story about the screen name.**_

_**I have drafted a few chapters. I am not sure if I am going to post yet. I need to reread it and see if it is post-worthy!**_

_**Looking forward to the next chapter in your story, **_

_**Edward_pays_the_Rent.**_

I opened my document then to work on my story. I didn't experience the kind of inspiration I had the previous morning, but the story seemed to flow, like Ashley had described. Occasionally, I stopped to Google a fact about the story or the area… I used my knowledge from vacationing around the country to fill out the story, picking actual places and castles. After I had typed a little while, I noticed I had a message. It was from Emmett is HOT.

_**Dear Edward_pays_the_Rent,**_

_**I hope you are still online and you see this. I really think you should post it, even if you aren't sure about it. I always feel bad about my own pieces, but others seem to appreciate them.**_

_**If it makes you feel any better, I would be glad to read your first chapter and let you know what I think.**_

_**Good luck,**_

_**Emmett is HOT.**_

I read it over five times trying to figure out what to do. If this was Kellan, sending it would give him pages worth of ammo to tease me with. Then again, if he did, I would know it was him, and I could tease him about his own fan fiction…

But what if it wasn't him? Would whoever this was like my writing?

In the end I decided it was worth the risk… I emailed back:

_**Dear Emmett is HOT,**_

_**Thanks for your interest. I actually would like a little input. Here is the first chapter of my piece. Let me know what you think.**_

_**Thanks,**_

_**Edward_pays_the_Rent**_

I tried to go back to my writing, but I was too anxious. I wondered if Emmett is HOT was still on line. I nervously drummed my fingers on the table. Did I hit send? I check the sent mail and it was there… I got up and walked around the apartment. I stopped in the kitchen and picked up a bottle of water, then walked back to the laptop, refreshing the page. Still no reply.

I hadn't read my updates yet, so I clicked on my alerts for the first update. I read through that and then moved onto the second, resisting the urge to check for an email. I got through the second and I couldn't wait anymore… There was an email.

I opened the mail box – ARGE! Another petition for Stephanie to write the series in EPOV. I angrily hit delete… It was 10:30. I got up and decided to play some music. I had been neglecting my guitar the last couple days, so picked it up and ran through some chords, then turned to some of my own pieces, feeling comfort from the familiarity of the songs and the feel of the strings beneath my fingers. A tune started to wind itself through my head so I tried a few chords to fit… hmm, I might have to work on that a bit later.

I was feeling better, less anxious. I went back to the computer to find another email. This time, I checked but without much hope it would be the reply I was looking for. I was pleasantly surprised.

_**Dear Edward_pays_the_Rent**_

_**I apologise for taking so long. My brother came in and wanted to talk to me about something… When he finally left, I turned back to the computer and saw your reply. I just finished reading it. It was really, really good. To be honest, at first I thought the idea was a little hokey. I didn't want to say anything to discourage you. But you have a good start. I definitely think you should post this.**_

_**Post it!**_

_**Best wishes,**_

_**Emmett is HOT**_

Wow, he or she actually thought it was good. I was thrilled. Maybe I should post it… Then something caught my attention. This definitely didn't sound like Kellan. I re-read it… It sounded like someone who lived at home with their siblings…

Was I corresponding with a teenage girl?

I quickly logged of and went to bed.


	18. Chapter 18

Ch 18 To Post or Not to Post… that is the question

I had to admit – I was distracted… It was difficult to remember my lines, to respond to my cues, to be in the right position… it was not a good day.

"Robert, what are you doing?" Chris called. I looked around. Oh, I was supposed to have moved to toward Bella by now… Where was I?

"Let's break for lunch"

I got out as quickly as I could. I knew what was coming. I felt sick with anxiety. I didn't bother to grab any food, I just headed out… DRAT, it's raining. Who cares – I just walked outside… looking for some place to disappear, to avoid the others. To figure out what was going on with my head…

I had been plagued with nightmares all night. When I first closed my eyes I saw Kellan, holding pages of my story, waving it in the air and laughing his loud bellowing laugh, while everyone else twittered around him. In this nightmare, I couldn't run away… I would run and run, but around every corner – there was Kellan with the pages and the laughter…

I finally woke up from that in a complete sweat. I got up, drank some water, and went back to bed, thinking I had put the nightmare behind me… I was wrong.

The next nightmare was worse. It was me, earnest, trusting, holding a folio with my completed manuscript. I was dressed for a meeting. I walked into a huge, glass office building with a granite lobby and rows of elevators. I get one of the elevators and ride up to the top floor. I'm nervous, but hopeful… I walk toward a reception desk with an assistant dressed in a designer power suit. She waves me into a huge office, overlooking the cityscape. The office is lush, with classical dark oak furnishings and leather furniture. There is someone behind the desk, but the chair is facing away from me. I walk up, not sure what to say. I clear my throat as I hold out my manuscript… the chair moves, swings around, and there before me is a twelve year old girl in pig tails. As I stare at her incredulously she says, "I love you Edward."

I woke with a start then. It was 5:00, but I couldn't go back to sleep.

I got up and walked over to my laptop – staring at it as if it were about to explode… I was afraid to open it. I got dressed in sweats, t-shirt and a pull-over. I needed to get out of there. After that, I had just walked aimlessly, not sure where I was or where I was going… Somehow I made it back to the hotel, but I didn't know how or why.

It was this same thoughtless walk I was lost in now, except, now I was walking around the buildings and equipment near where we were shooting and I couldn't possibly go very far without someone noticing… I wanted to find a quiet place out of the rain… somewhere to hide… Instead I wandered until I looked up and found I had wandered right over to Kristen's trailer… What was I doing here? I was about to turn and walk away when she saw me.

"Hey Rob, you wanna come in?"

"Ah, sure…" Did I want to go in? To sit with Kristen? She was sure to bring up this morning. It's not like it wasn't noticeable. I walked up the steps anyway. I looked around and found the one comfortable looking chair and plopped down in it, pulling one of my feet up to the seat, knee bent, creating a shield between me and whatever was to come.

"Do you want some water? Tea?" she asked.

"Tea would be great." I breathed a sigh of relief when she actually put the kettle on. I had been caught with that one before in the southern States – where Tea is cold tea and Hot Tea is tea… In a few moments, I had a cup of tea – well actually a mug of tea to add to the wall I was building to hide behind.

I stared into the cup, watching the few bubbles created from the pouring, pop and the water complete its rotations from where the spoon had stirred it… Then I took a small sip, concentrating on the warmth as it poured down my throat… ahhh! I suppose I could use that to understand Edward better – the experience of hot tea warming my throat on a cold day. Perhaps not as good as young teen girl blood to a century old throat. I swallowed involuntary. The thought brought back the second dream from last night. I looked up then to see Kristen staring at me.

"You aren't, like, going to freak out on me now?" she asked – a mixture of teasing and serious concern.

"I don't suppose so" I responded without inflection.

"Seriously, what is up, Rob?"

I shrugged my shoulders… "I guess I am just freaking out." That was as good an answer as any.

"Why?"

Now, there was the question. Why was I freaking out? Because I had two entirely mental dreams? People had nightmares all the time… except I didn't.

"I don't know, really. I… I'm just freaking out."

"Well, you'd better pull it together. You're freaking the rest of us out. You've been great the last couple of days, chatting, joking around with people… you know – no more moody Rob… then today – wacko… You're not staying up 'till late at night reading fan fiction again, are you?"

I laughed without humour. If only… "No, I've been doing much better, in fact."

"So what happened last night?"

"Nothing – I went for a walk, I read a little fan fiction, I wrote a little, and I went to bed at a decent hour… but I didn't sleep well. I think I might be coming down with something…" I deflected…

"Why couldn't you sleep? Were you stressed about something? Did you eat something crazy before bed? Did you read anything disturbing? Think about it – did something happen that would cause you to not sleep?"

I sighed, "I had a couple of nightmares, but they were nothing, really – silly…"

"What were they about?"

I hesitated… Would she think I was mental? I looked over at her expression – she already thought I was mental. I might as well jump in.

"The first one was about Kellan – he had gotten a copy of my fan fiction and was holding it out to all of you and you were all laughing… and the second one, I was taking my completed manuscript to a publisher, but it ended up being a really young Edward fan…" It sounded so not scary when I said it out loud, but last night it had been terrifying…

"Rob, what exactly happened when you were writing last night? Did you start writing about stocker fans or anything?"

"No, nothing like that… I emailed someone…"

"You did what?" She tried to temper her voice with soft concern.

"Not like Kellan – I didn't email someone and tell them I was Rob. Actually, I thought I was emailing Kellan… I'm not entirely sure I wasn't… I don't know." I stared bleakly at the wall.

"Okay, what? You are really weirding me out here… what exactly went down last night – starting with emailing someone."

"So, I thought I had found Kellan's screen name on the internet. There was someone called "Emmett is HOT" and they were writing fan fiction… actually pretty good fan fiction. When Kellan was vague about his screen name, it made me think, maybe it was him. So I emailed, trying to catch him up – to say something that would tell me it was him – or to get Kellan to say something to me directly from the email I sent… Then I would have something on him to tease him about… But as we wrote back and forth, I started to think maybe it wasn't Kellan. Then last night I sent the person a copy of the first chapter of my story. They really liked it, but it started to sound like it was some young girl on her computer in her room… I sort of freaked me out. Especially when she said what I was writing sounded like something Rob would write…"

"So…you are freaked out because you are afraid of being teased by Kellan and emailing young girls on the Internet?"

"Essentially…"

"Right – well then – I guess I have just one thing to say…GET A GRIP!!!"

"What?"

"I thought that would be more effective then slapping you." She smirked… then went on, "Did you ever think that what you are really stressed about is that you've put a lot of thought into this story and now you are worried that nobody will like it, except maybe Edward fans if they knew it was you? Maybe you are looking for some sort of validation through this, for you as a person, and you are afraid if you put it out there, you'll fall flat on your face?"

"Perhaps…"

"So, what you need to do is post it – just do it… and let the chips fall where they may." I shared her smile at the stolen line.

"You might be right."

"I know I'm right… Think about it Rob, you are loved and adored all over for being Edward – this perfect fictional person who you will never be… This is something you are writing… sure it is about Edward, so you haven't moved far, but still, the writing is all you."

Maybe she was right. Regardless, I felt a little better. Perhaps it was the tea.

The afternoon was better. I had settled down after our little lunch chat, and my performance was back on.

I didn't go for a walk – I had done enough of that this morning. I had something else I needed to do.

The first thing I did when I got back to the room was open up my laptop. I sat down and promptly posted the first three chapters…

Then I felt like throwing up.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: The Poster Child for Encouragement

I didn't read or write for the rest of the night. Instead I sat in front of the tele and caught up on good old fashioned prime time fiction. I laughed when I realized that fan fiction had, basically, replaced prime time serials… you got caught up in the story line… it killed you when you were left with a cliff hanger, which happened almost every week… and it seemed like the story never got to the place you wanted it to get to – Edward and Bella were never safe, never truly together, never entirely satisfied – there was always some issue thrown in their road. Then again, a story about Edward and Bella, getting up every morning to another blissful, yet uneventful day, would be…well… boring.

I slept much better. Kristen was right. I had been stressing about posting my story. Now I was just stressing about whether or not anyone would like it. I was nervous enough about it to stay off the site all night, but when I woke up I couldn't wait any longer.

I logged in and checked out 'My Page'… there were three reviews. I read through – they were all positive. Hmmm. I was surprised at the glow I felt in my chest. Amazing, I really cared what people thought about my story. I logged back out and got ready to go to the studio.

We were doing some location shots today, so we piled into vans and relocated out of the city, somewhere out in the woods. It was a good day. There was cloud cover over head, but it didn't rain much, just a little misting, so we were able to get a lot accomplished. I also didn't have a repeat of "freak-out" Rob, which was good.

The forecast was good for shooting, so we would be working through the weekend.

We wrapped up for the day when the sun started setting. There wasn't much more we could shoot until morning. Though we all knew we would be working tomorrow, we wanted to, somehow, celebrate the weekend.

"Hey guys, do you want to go for a drink somewhere? Or go back to someone's place to hang out?" Ashley asked… I was surprised she didn't suggest a club again.

"I don't want to be up too late" Elizabeth said, "but that sounds good…"

"Why don't you come back to my place, I'll host!" I heard myself offer… that surprised me. I wasn't usually so quick to play host, but it sounded like fun and it was much easier to go to someone's suite, then to figure out the logistics of getting the entire cast safely into a bar on a Friday night…

"Sounds great," Kellan said, "We'll be there."

"Peter and I will pick up some drinks" Jackson offered, Peter nodding beside him.

"And I'll get the snacks!" Kellan jumped in.

"Sounds like a plan." Nikki added.

I quickly headed back to my suite, to make sure it was actually presentable… Wouldn't want anything embarrassing lying around to give Kellan more fodder. I did a quick sweep of the apartment, setting my guitar in a corner out of the way and straightening up my desk. I figured I had about ten minutes, so I might as well check for messages and reviews on my fan fic. I logged into the site… I had three messages and a few more reviews – all pretty positive. The emails were one about a virus and two updates on other fan fics I was following, but I didn't think I had time to read them.

I was pleased about the reviews… most were short, like "interesting fan fic, really enjoying it, more please, looking forward to the next chapter…" all encouraging. That felt good. I suppose there was a part of me that would have loved to get this sudden rush of comments – some unprecedented response, followed up by a message from some studio exec or publishing company looking for contact information so they could offer me some incredible deal… Like that would ever happen… But, all in all, the writing felt good, and now that it was out there and no one said it was crap, I was feeling pretty positive.

Less then ten minutes later, people arrived.

"You have as amazing a view as Kristen has" Elizabeth sighed looking out the window. I looked out the window then, too. I realized I had missed it over the past week or so – forgotten about the beauty I had gawked at only a few short weeks ago when I arrived in Vancouver. I saw it again with fresh eyes.

"Here's the drinks," Jackson called out, "Where do you want them?"

"In the kitchen – just shove them in the fridge to keep them cold. There isn't much in there."

"You're telling me" Jackson laughed, as he looked in the fridge.

It was true, I wasn't much of a shopper.

"Hey guys…" Nikki greeted as she walking into the room, "I stopped by my apartment and brought two of my favourite movies – in case we ran out of things to talk about… Into the Wild and Motorcycle Diaries…"

"Into the Wild?" Kristen questioned, having walked in just behind Nikki, screwing her face up into a scowl…

"Oh ya, I forgot… that is one of your movies." She replied. "It was really good… I just really like the whole 'take off on the road' theme movies… we can watch the other one."

"It doesn't really matter, it's just weird to sit around watching yourself with a bunch a friends." Kristen replied, shrugging.

"Hey, we're not going to have time to watch a movie anyway" Ashley added. She had walked in to catch the tail end of the conversation. "I brought these conversation cards… I thought they might be hilarious."

"Not a bad idea, Ashley" Elizabeth added, then turning to me, "Rob, can I help you with drinks."

"Sure"

As we prepared drink orders, Elizabeth said, "I read your fan fiction, Rob" I stiffened slightly, anxious for what she might say… "I really enjoyed it. I didn't realize you could write too!"

"Thanks" I said simply. I was pleased, but a bit embarrassed.

"You should keep writing – when you have time… Don't lose sleep over it." She smiled then…

We delivered the orders and settled in the living room.

"Hey Kellan," Jackson started, a gleam in his eye, "How's your fan fiction friend? You know, the person you emailed. Were they all excited to hear from you?" Jackson teased. I admit, there was a part of me that was smug to see Kellan get a little back of what he dished out on a regular basis.

His face showed momentary chagrin, then he squared up his shoulders and casually stared back, "You know, they couldn't handle it – poor kid, just couldn't believe I would take the time to write her."

"Sure – seriously, what did they say?" Nikki asked.

"Oh, you know, the usual 'Oh I love you so much Kellan – I wish it was really you. Call me…'" He smirked back, playing it up, loving being the centre of attention. I realized then that there was no way to really embarrass Kellan.

Jackson rolled his eyes, "Whatever, Kellan"… Kellan just laughed in response.

"Speaking of fan fiction" Kellan said, gazing over at me… Oh crap, I thought, here it comes – nightmare number one. "I read an interesting cross-literary piece last night."

"Really?" I replied with forced casualness. Jackson and Peter exchanged a glance… the girls looked nervously at Kristen. I wondered if she had told them about my nightmares.

"Yes… It was actually, excellent. Good job, Rob" He said. I waited… surely there was a jab, some snide remark, some cruel comment coming…

I looked at him, to see if there was any false note in his face. Seeing none, I decided to reply, "Thank-you?" I said hesitantly.

"You're welcome… It really is very good… even AWESOME!!!" he smirked.

Everyone relaxed then, relieved that I wasn't about to live through some tortured teasing.

"It really was good, you guys should check it out." Elizabeth added.

"Already did" Kristen smiled, "And she is right, Rob… you did a good job."

Now I was feeling more then a little embarrassed…

"So Ashley, how's yours coming along?" I asked trying to redirect the attention.

"I'm kind of hung up at the moment… I can't seem to get past the modelling into the design stage. I just haven't figured out how to make that happen in the story."

"Maybe there is some fashion emergency – or one of the pieces they are modeling catches on fire, so Alice has to quickly make something work, and people notice her fashion genius." Nikki suggested.

"That's not a bad idea, Nikki, thanks!"

The conversation moved on then to other topics. We never got to the conversation cards or the movies. We just had too many other things to say. It was a really great night.

Conscious that we had an early morning, people started leaving around 11:30. Nikki stayed behind to help me clean up.

"I was really surprised at Kellan tonight." She said as she picked up bottles around the living room, "It was like he took nice pills or something."

"Ya, I was expecting him to totally cut me down." I replied.

"You know, he doesn't really mean most of the stuff he teases about – that is just him."

"I know, but this was a new experience putting myself out there like that with my writing. You know how I was with my songs during Twilight – I didn't know what people would think – if they would really like them."

"I liked them – a lot! You really are very talented in many areas, Rob."

"Okay, enough of that – I feel like the poster child for encouragement…"

"Sure" she said, smiling. "Thanks for hosting tonight, Rob. It was a good night."

"See you in the morning." I replied as she let herself out.

I needed to go to bed, but I wanted to check one more time… There were a few more reviews, mostly positive. One person pointed out that I messed up in a few spots, but that was good – at least I could fix it – and it wasn't harsh! Plus I had an email.

I quickly posted my next chapter before moving to the email section. I clicked over to my Inbox and there it was, one email…from Emmett is HOT – nightmare number two.

_**Hey EPTR (I decided to short form it – your screen name is way too long!)**_

_**I see you decided to post your story. I read all three chapters. It really is very good. You have a couple of type-os and I see someone already pointed out a few factual errors... but overall, really good.**_

_**I hope you keep it up. I am interested to see how Edward handles the tasks. Have you thought that through yet? Or are you waiting to see if it comes to you?**_

_**Anyway, welcome to the 'writers group'… you're one of us now!**_

_**EIH**_

I took a deep breath. What do I do about this, I wondered… Well, maybe I should sleep on it.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Getting a Grip!

I slept good, if not long, waking at 6:00… I guess I need to send some sort of response, I thought. What do I say? I logged in and looked at the email. I checked the date stamp… right during the time when Kellan, and everyone else, was visiting in my living room. So, it definitely wasn't him, as I had begun to suspect… I mean, he could fake that sort of thing, but really, would he – for the sake of a practical joke? I didn't think so.

I took a deep breath and started, not sure what I was going to say.

_**Hi EIH**_

_**Good idea about short-forming the names…**_

_**Thank you for the encouragement. I have gotten a few positive reviews and it helps me feel better about writing. I was a bit nervous.**_

_**I'm not sure what to do about all of the tasks, yet. I figured swimming wouldn't be much of a problem, but the rest of it, I'm not sure about. Any ideas?**_

Then I tried to think about how to get more information on who this person was, without actually asking… I drummed my fingers on the desk…

I could talk about the weather – if they responded it might give me an idea of where they were… but that wasn't what I was worried about. Why was I worried? So what if I was emailing a young Edward fan about fan fiction…practically everyone on the site was an Edward fan… There was no harm in emailing them, was there? It wasn't like I was going to tell them who I was.

_**Keep writing, EPTR**_

I quickly got ready and left for another day of work.

The weather held so we had another good day – plus we didn't have to freeze in the rain like during Twilight. Chris was pleased with our progress when we broke for lunch.

"So, do you guys want to come over for a movie tonight?" Nikki asked… "I am really in the mood…"

"Sure" Elizabeth said, "Your place?"

"Ya – I'll make popcorn and everything." Nikki smiled.

"I'll pass tonight, guys – the family's coming up from LA this afternoon." Peter added.

"Hey, that's great, Peter" Jackson said… "I'm in, Nikki."

Everyone else murmured agreement, and I was thankful to have a distraction tonight – it would keep me from being stressed about my fan fiction friend… Really, I shouldn't be stressed. There was no reason.

"Ashley, what are you doing?" Kristen asked, bring our attention over to her, sitting at the table, madly writing in a notebook. She didn't respond… "Ashley?"

"What?" she came out of whatever daze she was in to see us starting at her, "Oh, hi…" she blushed, "I just had some inspiration, so I thought I'd get it down before I forgot."

"Oh, okay," Kristen responded… "Hey did you guys see that there are a few more chapters in that Tango piece? I am really enjoying it… and it is heating up!"

"Ya – but not too hot – did you see the new rating limit?" Kellan asked, "All my favourite stories are gone!"

"They're on another site, Kellan" Jackson said, "A couple fans created a rating free site."

"Ya – I know" he grinned, with a chuckle.

"Hey, did you guys see that there is a new competition going on?" Nikki asked… "Edward vs Jacob is so last week" she said with exaggeration, "The real question these days is Emmett vs Jasper!"

"Ya, I got one of those emails." Kristen replied…

"How come there isn't a Charlie vs Carlisle?" Peter asked with a laugh.

"Oh, you know." Elizabeth chuckled…

"No, I don't know" Peter replied, with a little less humour.

"Ummm…. So who did you pick, Kristen?" Elizabeth deflected.

"Jasper… He is much more serious, and he is someone you can take care of as well as someone who will take care of you… there's more give and take. Although when the email got to me, Emmett was clearly winning."

"Ha!" Kellan laughed.

The conversation drifted off then, people chatting about their own topics… I caught Kristen as she was finishing up her lunch and people were a few steps away, so I could talk to her alone.

"Kristen, I want your opinion on something."

"What's that?"

"Well, remember how I said I had written back and forth with one of the other writers, thinking it was Kellan – but then thinking it might be some young girl…"

"Ya" she raised an eyebrow.

"Well, he or she wrote me back. It was right when you guys were all over, so I know it wasn't Kellan… Do you think it's weird for me to write back?"

"I don't see why it would be – you aren't saying anything suggestive, right?"

"No, not at all! No, just talking about my story – sharing ideas on where to go with it…"

"Well, there's no harm in that. People do it all the time. That is what the site is about – sharing your writing and getting ideas from each other."

"Right… I guess it was just the dream – it made me think there was something, you know, wrong with it."

"Like I said the other day, Rob, get a grip!" she smiled.

The afternoon started out good, but then the clouds thickened and it started to rain. We ploughed on for as long as we could, but it was getting to the point where they couldn't keep the equipment dry, so we packed it up for the night.

"So guys, my place – 30 minutes… We'll order pizza too for supper" Nikki said.

"Sounds good, I replied." First I wanted to change into some warm, dry clothes and check the fan fic site. After I pulled on some jeans, a t-shirt and a dry zip up sweatshirt, I headed over to the laptop and logged in. More reviews! They liked my new chapter too!

I quickly posted the next chapter... I had a six done when I posted the first three, but I now realized I needed to get writing some more. Maybe I should bring a notebook with me to set tomorrow, like Ashley. It just seemed like I didn't get enough time to write.

When I had logged in, I noticed that I had email, but I saved it for last, not sure what I was avoiding. I had a couple updates from other writers… I was getting behind on a few of the stories I was following… and one email about Jasper vs Emmett. I decided to reply and vote Jasper – just because it would bug Kellan… then I opened the one I wasn't sure what to do with.

_**EPTR**_

_**I get what you are saying about the swimming…. That really shouldn't be a problem. But, if he is looking out for Harry, then why does he beat him to the surface? Or are you not following that part of the book?**_

_**The fire is the biggest issue, since I am pretty sure a blast of dragon fire would kill a vampire just as easily as a wizard. He'll need something to deflect it or protect himself from it. He could probably run fast enough to grab the egg without the Dragon getting to him, but how would he explain that? He's supposed to use magic, not vampire abilities…**_

_**What are you assuming about the dragon – do you think dragon claws can tear through a vampire? Also, what do you think about the unforgivable curses – do you think they work on vampires? Or are they impervious to all magical spells?**_

_**BTW, haven't seen any of your reviews on my fan fic lately… I was wondering, what do you think?**_

_**I've been writing a lot more lately. My little bro moved out… actually he got married – so it's quiet – no more interruptions – and I'm getting a lot more done.**_

_**Keep writing, EIH**_

Hmmm. Her…or his younger brother got married… now they live on their own… so they must be an adult, unless the younger brother was child groom… I had been telling myself all day that I shouldn't stress about this – that it was no big deal… but still, relief spread through me like wildfire. The tension I didn't realize I was carrying in my shoulders released and I felt… good. She or he had some really good ideas… I realized that I had primarily thought of this person as a female ever since I started suspecting it wasn't Kellan. I wasn't sure why. It didn't really matter. It was probably just that the vast majority of people on the site were obviously female… chances were, so was EIH.

I sent a quick reply

_**EIH - Thanks for the great ideas. I have been busy and am behind on my fan fics… I will try to catch up tomorrow and comment. I like your writing! Keep it up. EPTR**_

Then I logged out and headed to Nikki's for movie night.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Collaboration

The next day was Sunday, so we started a little later in the day – I could sleep in until 8 AM – but at 7:00 I was wide awake. After a few failed attempts at going back to sleep, I got up. I figured, might as well catch up on the fan fics. I tracked down each of the ones I had been reading, taking the time to leave a review. It was easier now – better then at first when I had agonized over how lame my review was. Being on the other side, I realized that just having some positive comments was nice – and to have someone take the time to tell me what they liked was even better. It made giving feedback of my own easier.

After an hour, I was back up to date on most of the pieces. I also had to track down a few that had been deleted, finding them on another site… Then I got ready for the day.

Taking a cue from Ashley, I picked up a notebook at a nearby convenience store. If I was going to keep up with posting chapters, I needed to have someway to keep writing during down time on set. Lugging my laptop just wasn't practical in the middle of the forest. I briefly wondered what the others would think, or say, but then I realized I didn't care. This was something I enjoyed.

We were all packed up and heading out to the location at 9:00. Everyone was pretty chatty and energetic… The quiet evening, coupled with a few extra hours sleep had left everyone in a good mood. I could already tell it was going to be a good day.

I was right. We had a very productive morning and at lunch we were feeling really good. I was torn between chatting with the cast and pulling out my notebook. There was an idea tugging on the edge of my mind for the story. While conversation ensued, I pulled out my notebook and started jotting down the idea… I was really getting into the rhythm of writing now. It felt natural.

"Hey, Rob, what are you doing?" Kellan asked. Again, I felt myself stiffen up as I anticipated the teasing.

"Just jotting down a few ideas." I replied.

"For your fan fic?" He asked.

I nodded hesitantly….

"That is great, man! Good job!" he smiled. Really, what had gotten into him?

"I really liked your last chapter" Ashley added.

"Thanks, Ashley. I really liked yours too! It was good. You are a good writer – do you think you'll do any more after this?" I asked her.

"I don't know… I mean I do this because I enjoy it. It is fun – and a stress reliever. We'll see." She smiled back. "I brought my notebook too!"

"I figured I wasn't going to have time to get another chapter written if I didn't take your lead from yesterday."

"I know – I just never seem to have enough time… I try to get out a chapter a day, even if it is short, so the people following my story have something to read – but some days it's hard."

"Wow, a chapter a day… I don't know if I could keep up that pace. That is pretty impressive."

"Thanks" she held a faint blush.

"Can I have everybody's attention?" I heard Chris' voice above the din of the lunch conversation. Suddenly everything was quiet. "Thanks!"

I looked over at Kristen with questioning eyes. She shrugged back… I glanced around at the rest of the table. Everyone seemed just as mystified by this interruption as I was.

"This is a little unprecedented, but I am trying to think 'out side the box' and the movie execs have asked for something more. You know you all have the main script and some rewrites for New Moon, at least from Bella's perspective… They really want to include more Edward time in the movie… They are afraid the fan base will demand it. We've had the writers working on ideas for the time apart – after Edward leaves Bella, but nothing has really caught my attention. I don't want just some montage of scenes. If we are going to include him, I want there to be an actual story."

"What about Stephenie? Doesn't she have some draft pieces about that time?" Elizabeth asked.

"We have her draft pieces and, if possible, we would like to work them in since the fans of the book will have already read them. Unfortunately, she is just too busy to dedicate any time to writing more at the moment."

We all looked around. What would this to do production? To the movie?

"As you know, we are on a very tight timeline. If we don't at least have a solid storyline sketched out by next week, and the written script soon after, we will run out of time to plan and shoot it and get into post-production for the November release date…"

I could see he looked a little stressed. This was one time I was very glad I was just one of the actors. Chris must have a very stressful job.

"What can we do?" Peter asked.

"I am looking for ideas, or places to get ideas… What we really need is someone who understands Edward, can get in his head, to figure out what he would have done after leaving Bella. We know some broad strokes from the books, but we need details that we can develop…"

"Rob knows Edward – he's been writing about him" Ashley spoke up suddenly.

I turned and stared at her. What did she think she was doing?

"Rob?" Chris asked.

"Well, I have just been doing a little writing on the side. It is somewhat embarrassing. It's fan fiction. But it isn't anything like what you are asking for… It is outside the Twilight realm." I said, hoping he would let it drop.

"Nevertheless, it is an idea, Rob. Can I see your work?"

"Umm" I hesitated. It was one thing to put it out there for strangers who didn't know you to critique. It was another thing entirely to hand it over to your director.

"He has his notebook with him. He was actually writing a bit before you got our attention. And he has some posted on a website under a screen name…" Kristen offered up, smiling mischievously at me.

"Can I see your notebook?" Chris asked as he walked over. I knew it wasn't really a request.

I handed it to him. "There's not much in there. I usually write on my laptop, but I picked this up for today. It seemed a little more practical to bring to the location."

"You wrote all of this just now?" He asked.

"Yes, during lunch" I didn't have much… I had only gotten five pages down before the impromptu meeting.

"Rob, this is actually pretty good. You're right, it isn't the story I was looking for, but you have a good sense of timing – and the idea you are developing is very creative… might be worth considering for a spin off movie some day. They said there is more?"

"Yes" I was more then a little embarrassed now, "I posted some on a fan fiction site under the name Edward_pays_the_Rent…"

He smirked, "Nice screen name… I'll have to check it out…" He looked back over what I had written. "You do seem to have a good grasp on your character, Rob. Do you have any ideas?"

I racked my brain trying to come up with something brilliant on the spot. "Well… I think, when he left anyway, he would have already had a plan on how to go… I don't think Edward would have just ran off into the trees, wandering aimlessly. That would be more Bella. I think, that night when he decided he was leaving he would have planned it out, at least as far as the first few days. I mean, he planned everything else, right – getting rid of the presents and the pictures, including the ones she was sending to her mum…"

"Rob - that is good. You have some insight into his head… Does anyone else have any ideas?" he looked around. People were pretty quiet. "Okay, well, we'll put in a few more hours before we lose the light, but if anyone has something they come across tonight or think of, please, bring it to set tomorrow."

He hurried away, looking worried. I guessed the studio executives must be putting a lot of pressure on him. I supposed, with the first film, no one was sure if it was going to do well. Now that it had, expectations were higher.

After we wrapped up, I decided to think about the issue with New Moon. There was one fan fiction I recalled where someone had written some EPOV scenes during the time when he left Bella. It took some time to locate it… then I read it through. It was good, but not exactly what I was thinking. I borrowed some ideas and started jotting down a few things in my notebook. For some reason, I had found that writing in my notebook was a more natural process for me – the story seemed to flow more with pen in hand, then when I was sitting down at my laptop.

I wrote a few things, but I was stuck. It was like when I first started writing Hogwarts – the idea came to me, but then I hit a plateau for a while before I could really start writing. But I didn't have a while. Chris needed something right away. I set down the notebook and drummed my fingers on the keyboard, looking over the fan fiction I had pulled up, still on my screen. Then I noticed I had some email.

I opened it up, and saw one from Emmett is HOT.

_**EPTR,**_

_**Thanks for the review on my fan fiction. You had some interesting comments and insights – also thanks for pointing out that small inconsistency. I appreciate it.**_

I recalled that I had pointed out a flaw in one of her pieces of dialogue. She had made reference back to a character that wasn't present during the time of the discussion…

_**I value your opinion – you are a good writer and also seem to understand EPOV. Not everyone does. Some try to write Edward as they would want him to be, which is fine too – it makes for some more interesting and satisfying reading – but for what I am doing, I appreciate your input. I just wanted you to know that… Us fan fic chicks have to stick together, right?**_

_**Your latest chapter was really good. I'll think more on why and email you back – to give you the kind of feedback you've given me.**_

_**Thanks again! Happy writing, EIH**_

A few things struck me all at once – a glowing appreciation for her words, and anticipation for her next email. I really wanted to hear what she had to say. I realized that I valued her opinion as much as she seemed to value mine. Why is that? I wondered. I appreciated the complements I received from the cast, but what EIH thought meant more to me… I suppose it is because of the same reasons she said. I respect her talent and insight, and therefore her opinion… Hmmm. I hadn't thought of this possibility before – finding a professional colleague… well amateur colleague – this was fan fiction we were talking about – to discuss my work with.

The last thing that struck me was something I had overlooked in the first reading of the letter, "us fan fic chicks have to stick together". It confirmed what I had suspected, EIH was female… but also implied that she thought I was too. I shook my head. What would give her that idea? The more I thought about it, the more I realized I had done the same thing. There was nothing specific on her profile, her screen name was not specific, she had never said before – just the same as I. There were a few male writers on the site, but they seemed obvious to me – most indicated they were male, or had a picture of themselves… Well, I suppose that is an assumption too. For all I knew the vast majority could be male… I pondered over this. Regardless, I had assumed she was female, in the same way she had assumed I was too. I suppose, it doesn't really matter, in the end. A writer is a writer.

In the midst of all my pondering an idea started to percolate. I didn't know when it first started twigging around the edges of my mind, but suddenly I realized it was there, in my head… I quickly checked to see if EIH was on line. She was – or at least she was logged in.

_**EIH,**_

_**Are you at your computer?**_

_**EPTR**_

I hit send quickly.

I hit refresh… and again…. and again… Perhaps she had left her computer on, still logged into the site. Then finally I saw a new email. I clicked, it was from her.

_**Yes, I'm here – working on a few things… What's up?**_

I quickly replied.

_**I am working on the storyline for Edward during his time away from Bella in New Moon… I am looking for ideas.**_

I waited a few minutes…

_**Oh, good place to go… That is such a mysterious time to me. What was Edward thinking? What was he doing? I am glad you are looking at this. I have thought a lot about it myself. There is a couple of good fan fics already on this – some good ideas – but I would love to see something else… something more. -EIH**_

I replied:

_**Yes, well, I don't have a lot of time to work on it… I was thinking he would have had a plan before he said good bye in the woods – at least for a couple weeks. And we know he ends up doing some tracking with Victoria… do you think he did that right away or later? - EPTR**_

_**I'm not sure… but I think you are right. Edward wouldn't have just run off into the woods. He would have had some place to go. I think he would have already had the idea about tracking Victoria, but I don't think he would have left directly from there. His family was gone, right? I think he would have met up with them first – established their cover at their new location – and then taken off from there. - EIH**_

_**That is brilliant, of course. Edward would always have first looked out for his family. So, they've left and regrouped somewhere. He takes off to join up with them and maybe spends a week or two establishing their cover… at the same time figuring out where to start tracking… - EPTR**_

_**Yes, I like where you are going with this. Very good… this is fun! Okay, so he does some tracking. That part is fairly easy – there is an outline of his journey. He says he's not good at it. I am guessing he is not bad at it, but it is new skill and he is matched against someone who is skilled at avoiding capture. I am thinking he, maybe, gets close a couple times, scaring Victoria into setting a false lead. - EIH**_

_**Oh, that is really, really good. Of course, Edward is a bit of a perfectionist. Anything less is not good in his mind… If he was really bad at it, then Victoria would have lost him long ago… She wouldn't have gone through the effort to go down south and set up the false lead. You are really brilliant, you know that? - EPTR**_

_**Thanks! You're too kind… So, I am thinking… he says something later that makes me think he moved from living week to week, to day to day and finally hour to hour… that makes me think he had some sort of initial plan, then tried to make up little plans along the way, but eventually just ended up lost… you should incorporate that kind of concept into his story… Like first, he had a two week plan: set things up with Bella, destroy the evidence, go to his family, establish the cover story, and do a little research to try to figure out where to start tracking Victoria. - EIH**_

_**I like where you are heading… I think I need to get a calendar and map it out. – EPTR**_

I got up and grabbed a calendar that was sitting on the desk. It wasn't the same year, but it would do, and started writing across it.

_**That is good – then, when he figures out where to start with Victoria, he goes after her… perhaps that takes another week or so, he is just learning after all, and he gets close, but Victoria eludes him and he is back to the drawing board… then he is back at home – moping… he said something about being useless when he was around his family… - EIH**_

I scribbled madly, trying to get her ideas down on the calendar

_**Yes, yes, you are right. So he realizes he can't just sit around – and his family worries about him. That would be good. I can see Carlisle and Esme very worried, consulting with Alice on his future and what is going to happen, Jasper sharing in his emotions and trying to cheer him up… and Rosalie… she needs to develop during this time period. - EPTR**_

_**Yes, but Rosalie still doesn't get what it is between Edward and Bella – remember her phone call? Perhaps she softens, but still doesn't understand… - EIH**_

_**I think you are right about Rosalie. I need to get that down – how each character reacts to Edward… EPTR**_

I started ripping pages out of my note book, putting names on the top of each page to jot down thoughts and ideas on each character.

_**I think Alice gets it. I don't think she ever agreed with what he was doing in the first place. I think she, more then anyone else, understood the depth of Bella' feelings. And Jasper – I think he feels some guilt the entire time… Like it was his fault because of the birthday party. Every time he feels the depth of Edward's sadness, I think he flinches… EIH**_

I wrote that down, and the part about Carlisle and Esme from before… then looked up to see another reply before I was able to write back.

_**OH – and Emmett – he would just cut through the crap and tell Edward to go back to Bella. I can see, maybe Edward getting into a fight with him over it, then falling to the ground in a useless heap. - EIH**_

_**That is good. Okay, I've got the characters and first month and a half mapped out. I'm not sure where he tracks Victoria to, yet, but I've got that – then he goes home, mops, regroups, goes after Victoria again –gets closer – maybe that is another couple weeks… and she gets scared and takes off south. He goes home again – a little more moping – a little more development of the other characters, then he can't stand it any more and takes off after Victoria a third time. But this time he has gotten too close, and she sets a trap to lead him away, so she can circle back to Forks… EPTR**_

_**Yes, that is how he ends up in Rio – with no trail to follow. Only this time, instead of going home, he stays – at first trying to do some research… I can see this getting to the day to day… where he decides to go somewhere and check something out, but he only has a plan for the day… then he is lost. Maybe he blacks out or spaces out for periods of time… EIH**_

_**I can see that, he moves further and further into his depression… spacing out, not knowing how long he was out for, so he had to find out the date and time… then he gets to a point where he can only figure out what do to for an hour or two before spacing out again. EPTR**_

_**Yes, until Rosalie's phone call… EIH**_

I looked over the calendar and the notes. Wow, this was a lot. The entire story was pretty much mapped out… I half wanted to sit down and just start writing, and half overwhelmed by it all. I had never done something like this, map out an entire section of story. Even with Hogwarts, I had started with little more then an idea and a few of the complications figured out… plus I already had a storyline to follow.

_**I can't believe how easily we put that together. That was truly collaborative, EIH. That was fun. I wish we could sit down and write this together…EPTR**_

_**That would be fun. I suppose you are on the other side of the world or something. I live in Vancouver. EIH**_

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets. She was right here in Vancouver? What were the chances? Then I noticed the time – it was midnight… and I wanted to this organized for the morning.

_**Hey, it is getting late. I need to get to bed… This was really enjoyable. I am incredibly excited about this story. I'll be sure to put your name in as co-developer! I'll send you a draft when I get something written…. What are you doing tomorrow? EPTR**_

_**I was just planning to hang around the house. I'll keep logged-in, in case you need to bounce anymore ideas off me… And hey, you better put my name on this. When it catches the attention of some big wig – we'd better get all rich and famous together! Maybe we'll do all the books in EPOV. LOL! – EIH**_

I felt a little guilty then. She thought she was corresponding with just another Fan Fiction writer. I almost wanted to tell her who I was… but what would she think of me? And about the deception? Maybe I could get her something if Chris ended up using any what we had worked on. It would be only fair.

_**Yes, well… I'll email you tomorrow for sure… so check in, okay? EPTR**_

_**Night – EIH**_


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Ambush

I headed over to the studio earlier then usual. I wanted to catch Chris before the others showed up. I wasn't sure if he would like what I had to show him, but I thought it was good. I realized that it was more EIH's work then my own – perhaps that's why I could be objective. I didn't have time to clean up the calendar too much or the character development notes, but I was able to sketch out an outline and wrote a couple of scenes that came to me in the middle of the night. I should be exhausted. I had barely slept, but instead I was energised – probably running on adrenalin.

I found Chris in his office, looking over notes and plans for the day. I knocked on the door. He looked up and, seeing me, he waved me in.

"Hey Robert, little early this morning… good to see you."

"Thanks, Chris…" then I cut to the chase "I thought about what you said yesterday. I brought back these for you to look at." I handed over the calendar, the notes, outline and few sections I'd written. He motioned for me to sit as he looked over the materials. I was suddenly very nervous, wondering if he would like it. I thought it was really good, but he would have a different perspective – one of a movie maker. That could put an entirely different slant on this then writing a story.

"hmmm, I see…" he said, turning a page. I fidgeted with the bottom button of my shirt.

"interesting"… he pulled out the calendar, while looking over the outline, seeming to cross reference things. I played with the bottom of my shoe.

"I hadn't thought of that – but of course." He mumbled. I peered over the desk to see he was now reading some of the character development pages. I thought I could see that he was on Jasper. He flipped through, page by page… it looked like he was now at some of the writing I had done.

He raised an eyebrow, looking up at me then, and turned back to the page… now slowly reading through each page of the scenes I had written. "And you did all this last night?" he asked, still reading through my writing.

"I gathered it together, last night" I said, slightly correcting him… "Actually, I had some help."

He looked up then, having finished the last page. "Help?"

I took a deep breath. This was going to be hard to explain… I thought about starting from the beginning, but the look on Chris' face told me we didn't have enough time for that. "I collaborated with one of the fan fiction writers." I said.

He frowned, "By collaborated, you mean…"

"I bounced ideas off her and she gave me ideas back. We worked together on the character development and timeline. Then I wrote the scenes myself."

"Do you have any idea who this person is?"

I was started to see his concern… This was as much her work as mine, not that I would have considered taking advantage of that. But the studio wouldn't want to get embroiled in some messy lawsuit if she ever came back and sued over her contribution to the project.

"I only know she lives here in Vancouver – and she is home today. She said she'd check for emails in case I needed to bounce any more ideas off of her – or to read a draft…"

"Does she know who you are?"

I shook my head. "Only as my screen name. She thinks I am a fellow fan fiction writer… Actually, I think she thinks I am a woman." I grinned with embarrassment.

"She lives here in Vancouver, though?" he confirmed.

"Well, that is what she said. For all I know I am corresponding with a fifty year old man in Alabama."

He smiled at the joke, "Okay, Rob, here's the thing. What you have here is the most promising lead I've seen so far and we are short on time. I'm going to make a call… and then you are probably going to have to get in contact with her, quickly. But wait a minute…" He picked up his phone and walked into the next room with my papers.

My mind was swimming. What was happening? Did he really like what I had developed – what we had developed? Then it hit me – I was going to actually contact Emmett is HOT in person… How was that going to work? I could see it now:

_**Dear EIH**_

_**Great work last night. By the way, I am Robert Pattinson. We want to use this in the movie – you okay with that? EPTR**_

_**Dear EPTR**_

_**HA HA, LOL – Thanks for the laugh. You are crazy. Don't contact me again until you get treatment. EIH**_

I shook my head. This was an impossible situation.

Chris walked back into the room then, setting the papers down on the desk. "Okay, I talked with the studio executives and the legal department. We need to try to get in contact with this person… regardless of the legal implications, the studio doesn't want the bad press if this goes wrong. Actually, one of them was excited about the human interest story element of this – thinks it will be good for marketing."

I just nodded as he rambled off everything he had found out and we had to do.

"So, you can contact her?" He asked again.

"Yes, she said she isn't working today."

"Okay, Rob. Here's what we're going to do… Have you ever breached the idea of meeting in person?"

"Actually, she suggested the idea as a joke…"

"That is good. And she thinks you are a female. That helps. It eliminates the whole possible stocker profile…"

"I don't think she is a stocker." I objected. She had never come across as anything but nice.

"Not her – you! I'm trying to figure out how to get in touch with her without spooking her. If she thought you were male, it might create suspicion – she might think you are looking for something else."

"Oh"

"So you are going to email her. Don't tell her who you are. You need to make arrangements to meet somewhere for coffee or something."

"Okay, I think I can handle that."

"Here, use my computer." He handed over his laptop.

I opened up the browser and logged into the site. I clicked on Inbox, Compose and started typing nervously.

_**EIH**_

_**Last night was a lot of fun. I've written a few scenes, but I'd really like your input. You mentioned you live in Vancouver. I happen to be in Vancouver, too. Would you be open to meeting at a coffee shop or something? It would be easier then emailing back and forth.**_

_**Let me know, EPTR**_

I handed the laptop back for Chris to read what I'd written. He nodded and hit send. Then we waited…

"Rob, why don't you go get a coffee or something to eat? You look wiped."

"Sure," I said. The lack of sleep was catching up with me. I saw that the caterers were bringing in snacks for the morning. I picked out a muffin and some fruit, nibbling on them while I waited for a cappuccino to brew.

"Rob, we have a response…" I heard Chris call from his office. I rushed back, setting my plate on the desk while I reached for the laptop.

_**EPTR**_

_**Sure, that would be great. There's a coffee shop near my place, 'Bean Around the World' on 10**__**th**__** Avenue West, between Trimble and Sasamat… It's near the university.**_

_**I'll wear jeans and my black Twilight shirt so you'll know who I am… what will you be wearing?**_

_**EIH**_

I pointed out the address to Chris. He said, "twenty minutes" and so I quickly wrote back.

_**EIH,**_

_**Great! I can get there in about twenty minutes. I will also wear jeans and a Twilight shirt. See you soon. EPTR**_

Chris and I jumped up to go. "Maybe we should bring one of the female members of the crew for the meeting…" he mused, then looked back at me. "No, this would be more interesting." He suddenly grinned, walking around the office grabbing things unthinkingly. "Here, put this on" he tossed me one of the promotional Twilight shirts we had lying around… I quickly striped off the shirt I had thrown on this morning, regretting that, in my hurry, I'd skipped the shower. "Wait… here." He threw me a stick of deodorant and some body spray.

"Thanks" I said.

I quickly got ready and saw that he had some sort of equipment bag. We headed out toward one of the studio cars which was, fortunately, currently occupied by a driver. Kirsten spotted us from across the lot.

"Where are you going?" she called, quickly closing the distance between us.

"To meet Emmett is HOT." I replied.

She had a puzzled expression as she looked between me and Chris. "All right, I'm coming" she insisted.

I looked at Chris, who smiled and nodded. Once we were in the car, he tossed Kirsten a small silver box. "You know how to point and shoot?" he asked?

"Sure" she said.

Chris gave directions to the driver and we were off. I brought Kristen up to speed as we drove through the now busy streets. I worried that, with all the delays, we'd be late and I'd miss her.

"Settle down, Rob" Kirsten said, "She'll be there."

It seemed to take forever, but, in fact, we made it in less then the twenty minutes I had suggested.

"Okay, I'm going to go in first to scout it out. You two wait here." Chris ordered.

I could see his director's mind taking over – scoping out the location, setting up the scene. I was sure I could see an extra feature in the making, but I didn't care about all that. I was just nervous. What if she was angry at the deception? What if she didn't believe it was me? I was suddenly glad to have Kirsten there. She reached over and squeezed my hand comfortingly.

"Get a grip" she whispered.

I smiled.

Chris returned to the car. "There is a woman in there. I would guess she's mid to late twenties, wearing jeans and a twilight shirt… about average height and a typical build for a normal woman. She's already got her order and she's drinking it while writing in a notebook."

I nodded, as if I could confirm that was her, though I had no idea what she would look like.

"I found a great spot to shoot from. I'm going to record this… just in case." I saw that he had produced a hand held movie camera from the case. "Kristen, I want you to go in with Rob. Hang a little back, out of frame and snap pictures like crazy. There's enough light that the camera shouldn't need a flash."

She nodded, looking over the small silver camera, snapping one picture of us in the car to make sure she was comfortable with it.

"Rob, you just go in and introduce yourself."

"Okay."

"This should be interesting." He said again, with an excited grin on his face as he left the car.

We watched him enter the cafe and place his order. He picked up a newspaper while he was waiting, then took his drink order to a small table. I could see him getting the camera out and ready behind the newspaper… I knew he was positioned so he'd get a great shot of her expression, but she wouldn't notice him as she would be looking toward me.

That was our cue. We both got out of the car and walked into the shop. Kirsten hung back a little, angling somewhat so she could take us both in the shot. I could hear her already starting to click the camera. It must have one of those rapid fire features.

The shop was pretty quiet for a Monday morning, only one other customer and the server. It was surprising, but I supposed this shop was a little far from the business district to get high traffic at this time day – more likely a university crowd in the afternoon and evening type of place. I took a deep breath and approached her.

"Emmett is HOT?" I asked.

"Umhm?" she responded, finishing the sentence she was writing before looking up.

Her eyes initially narrowed at the person she saw, clearly not matching the picture she must have had in her mind. There was the briefest second of suspicion and fear… then recognition dawned on her face.

"Edward_pays_the_Rent?" Her mouth gaped open for a second in shock, and then she laughed, "Oh, I get it… very cleaver."

She jumped to her feet then, "Holy crap. It's really you, isn't it?" She had the best smile – it lit up her entire face. She grabbed my hand to shake it. "Hi"

"Hello," I said back, pleased she wasn't upset, "I'm Robert." I shook her hand back.

"No kidding. Well I'm Kim… Kimberly Adams, actually. It is very nice to meet you." She was still shaking my hand. Then she noticed Kirsten snapping pictures behind me. "And you're…" she said as Kirsten brought her self from behind the camera and stepped forward to shake her hand.

"Kirsten Stewart" she said.

"Wow… this is amazing… Did someone set this up? Am I on candid c…" she spotted Chris then, holding the video camera. "Oh my…" he hands flew up to block the blush that took over her face.

"You could take lessons from her on that." I playfully elbowed Kirsten, teasing.

Kim brought her hands down from her face and took a deep breath, "Wow, this is overwhelming… So what is this all about? Why are you here? Are you doing some ambushing unsuspecting fans thing?"

"That's not a bad idea," Chris said from his spot at the table. We laughed in response.

"No, actually, we need your help. We are trying to put together a storyline for Edward for the movie." I said.

"You mean, all the work we did last night?" she couldn't wipe the smile from her face, but I could see she was still a little overwhelmed.

I noticed the other customer snap a picture with his cell phone, and straining to hear what was going on. Chris must have noticed as well as he came over to the table. "Perhaps you could come with us – we will fill you in at the studio." He said quietly.

Kim nodded, gathering up her purse and notebook and headed out to the car. We all had to cram in, Kim, Kristen and I in the back and Chris in the front. The camera was rolling again as he recorded our return to the studio

Kim was reasonably cool, given the circumstances. After the initial shock wore off, she got right down to discussing the storyline we had put together last night. She was one of those people who were incredibly open. She didn't try to feign aloofness. When she had a momentary reality check, she'd just say 'this is crazy' shaking her head, and then jump back into the conversation. She also wasn't really star struck… She was shocked and amazed at first, but as we spoke, it was as if I was emailing back and forth with her again. She didn't seem to put on an act…

"She seems really nice," Kirsten quietly said as we got to the studio, Kim momentarily distracted by the site.

"I agree."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Good Team

The cast and crew were waiting when we got there. I realized we had taken off without telling anyone. They were, understandably, concerned.

"We're glad to see you." Peter said as we got out of the car, then noticing Kim, he looked back at me with a question on his face.

"Everyone, this is Emmett is HOT, otherwise known as Kim" I gestured to her.

"Kim, this is…"

"Kellan" he jumped up grabbing her hand. "Nice to meet you!"

She took half a step back at his exuberance and, I suspected, the overwhelming situation.

"Nice to meet you, too." She smiled widely.

"I'm Ashley." She shook her hand.

"Nikki"

"Peter – glad to meet you, Kim."

"Jackson… I hear you're into fan fic."

"Yes" she replied, now clearly overwhelmed.

"Hi, I'm Elizabeth."

"Oh, hi! I loved your character in Grey's Anatomy."

"Thank you." Elizabeth replied. "I didn't move far… from Seattle to Forks." She laughed, trying to put Kim at ease.

"I guess not" Kim laughed back.

There was a moment of awkward silence, then. I could tell the others were wondering at her sudden presence in light of our disappearance this morning.

"Kim worked with me on some ideas for Edward's story last night." I explained, "She's going to help us flesh it out a bit… That is if she's willing."

She just shook her head in amazement, experiencing another reality check.

"I need to talk to you for a few minutes." Chris said to her then, pulling her aside, "And Rob, don't worry about make-up. You'll be working with Kim today. I'll make a call to your agent."

As soon as they had left, I was peppered with questions.

"What is going on?" Ashley asked excitedly.

"Ya, where did this person come from?" Jackson added.

"Well, I emailed back and forth with her for a bit. She has some good fan fiction and had commented on mine… so last night I was trying to put together some ideas for Chris and I asked her opinion. We basically threw together a storyline and some character development. It was such an organic experience, I couldn't even tell you which ideas were mine and which were hers." I told them, giving them the Coles Notes version of the story.

"Wait a minute – you met her on the fan fic site and told her who you were?" Kellan asked, incredulous.

"Yes and no. I met her on the site, but I never told her who I was. In fact, until this morning, I am pretty sure she thought I was a young woman like her." I laughed, recalling the expression on her face when she met me.

"So, how did you get her?" Nikki asked.

"We set it up for us to meet, then I showed up."

"OH MAN! That must have been hilarious! I wish I'd been there to see that." Kellan laughed.

"Listen guys – I'll tell you the entire story later. I'm going to check on her."

"I'll tell them about the last part," Kristen added, eyes gleaming.

I heard more booming laughter as I walked off to find Chris and Kim. I caught up with her walking out of Chris' office with a stack of paper. She smiled when she saw me.

"Look at all this" she held up the papers. "They need a bunch of forms filled in for the legal department and I have to sign a contract. Rob, this is nuts. I'm just amazed to have met you guys, and to contribute in some small way to the making of the movie is incredible… then, on top of it – they want to pay me? I'll be able to pay off my student loans! This is really, really amazing…. Thank you!" Again – there was her huge smile.

"Really, I had no idea. I just wanted to help Chris with a few ideas…"

"Well, thank you anyway. I can't believe it. Now I've got to figure out all these…" she moaned looking back at the pile of paper.

"Do you have anyone who can help you?"

"I have friends I went to university with who are now lawyers. I can probably ask one of them"

"Good idea"

Chris joined us then. Eyeing the papers he said, "You don't have to worry about those today – unless you want to…" she shook her head no. "I was thinking you and Rob could keep working on the storyline you started last night. I need you to write the story so I can give it to some of our screenwriters to adapt… And, not to put any pressure on you, but we're running short on time."

"Well, then, let's get to work," Kim grinned.

Chris brought us to a room with a meeting table and comfortable office chairs. It looked like it had been recently cleared away.

"Help yourself to whatever you need," he said, gesturing to the refreshments, "and if you need anything, just ask Tanya, my assistant" he motioned toward a lady who was standing beside him as he left us.

"Perhaps I could get my laptop from my suite? It has some stuff I already typed."

"I'll send a messenger… anything else?" Tanya asked, holding out her hand for my key.

"Maybe some flip chart paper" Kim added. Tanya nodded and left.

"Do you have any idea what you are doing?" I asked her. She seemed to be in her element, calm, prepared.

"Not a clue, but they always ask for chart paper, right?" I laughed… "Actually, I used to chart out my papers on foolscap in university. I figured this might help." She added with a shrug.

The chart paper arrived and we got down to work, taking the ideas from last night and spreading them out on pieces of chart paper, then throwing out new ideas to flesh out the story. At some point we split up as she continued adding ideas and crossing out ones that didn't work, while I wrote up the sections that seemed pretty much completed. Every once in awhile she would throw out a thought, asking for my opinion and we'd discuss it. In turn, I'd read out a passage to see if it flowed or if I'd achieved the sentiment or humour I had been going for. I had never worked so well with anyone before. I found I was able to switch between what I was working on and discussion with her without missing a beat…

And the writing… It was amazing. Not the quality necessarily, though I hoped it was good. But the process of writing collaboratively with another person. I was on some sort of high. It was like the story was all there, just waiting to be written. I recalled what Stephanie had said when she wrote Twilight – it just came to her. It felt like that, except hyped up on really good drugs – or maybe it was the fourth quad venti latte I was on.

At some point during the day, Tanya dropped off lunch. But we were having too much fun to stop.

"This has been the best day, ever!" Kim said suddenly, looking over the pages taped to the walls, as she stood and stretched. That reminded me that I was feeling a little stiff myself, especially my hands. I followed her lead, standing and flexing my fingers.

"I know what you mean." I agreed.

She turned and looked at me then, eyes narrowed slightly, "Really? With all you've seen and done? This is the best day ever?"

I thought about it for a minute. "It's hard to say. I've never experienced this kind of thing – working together with someone so cohesively on a project like this. I mean, I work well with Kristen and we connect well acting – I really enjoy working with her – but I never collaborated on something like this – on a creative project…Until recently, I hadn't done any writing at all."

"But you write music."

"Yes, and you might think it would be similar – but it's really not… That's why I emailed you initially. I had an idea, but no idea how to write it…"

"I see" She finished her stretching then and turned back to the flip chart paper. I smiled at the awkward end to what felt like an unfinished conversation, and returned to writing.

I was surprised when Chris came in and told us it was after 9:00 pm. "Don't you guys break to eat?" he asked, laughing.

"I guess we just got carried away."

"There are a few people who wouldn't mind sharing supper with you out here." He said, opening the door wider. I was surprised to see the entire Cullen cast at the door. "They wanted to come check on you earlier, but you seemed really in the groove so I held them off." He chuckled, "You really should take a break."

"Thanks" Kim said.

They had ordered pizza which was just arriving. We sat around visiting and enjoying the food. It was impressive how Kim fit in so quickly. She settled right into the group, trading jabs with Kellan, discussing fan fiction with Ashley, and just visiting with the rest. I realized I knew nothing about her when Elizabeth kindly asked her about her life. She had moved to Vancouver after high school to attend UBC, pre-med, when she realized she really didn't like blood and guts in her first year biology. She switched to business with a double major in accounting and computer science. She worked with a local accounting software company while she completed her CMA designation.

"You're an accountant?" Ashley asked, "But you write."

She shrugged, "I guess it's just my creative outlet… maybe 'cause I spend most of my day looking at numbers."

"What was going on today that you weren't at work?" Jackson asked.

"I just took today off as a vacation day because I needed to catch up on a few things around the apartment." She laughed, "I guess I didn't get much done today."

"Are you kidding? You've got plenty done – we have fifty solid pages and you've pretty much got the rest of the storyline mapped out."

"Fifty pages?" Chris stared at me, "How much more is there?"

I shrugged, looking at Kim

"Well, Rob has gotten through roughly a third of the planning pages."

"You guys make a good team," He commented with admiration.

A thought occurred to me suddenly. "What about tomorrow? Do you have to go to work?" I panicked our collaborative writing experience was over.

She laughed, "No, I called my boss when I met with Chris. They've granted me a few weeks leave to help finish up the project."

I smiled in relief.

Kristen leaned over to her then, speaking in a stage whisper, "Sometimes you just have to tell him to get a grip… It works better then a slap."

I gave her a sarcastic smile.

"Well, guys, as much as I hate to break up a party – or work – you probably need your rest." Chris said then. I eyed the clock, noticing it was already after 10.

"What are you going to do?" I asked Kim.

"Tanya has arranged for a car to take me home and pick me up in the morning – so I guess I'll see you back here tomorrow."

"Guess so… See you." I waved as she gathered the purse and notebook that were the only things she had when we ambushed her this morning.

She waved, then stopped, "Rob – thank you. I really mean it."

I smiled in response as she left.

I was suddenly over come with fatigue from the day. More then anything I was looking forward to crawling into my bed.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Fan Fiction Writers Save the Day

For the next three days Kim and I continued to work on Edward's story for New Moon. The second day was the same as the first, Kim working on storyline development while I wrote. Once she completed all the charts, she proofread my draft copies – picking out inconsistencies in the story, areas where it didn't flow from one section to another, and providing suggestions to make it better. She was good… really good, and fun to work with.

"Are you sure you aren't a professional writer?" I had asked more then once.

"Are you sure _you_ aren't" she'd counter back, laughing.

Once we had the first several chapters done and edited, we handed them off to Chris who reviewed them, nodding and hmming the entire time. When he finished he sent them to the studio where the screenwriters started adapting them. Then there were more revisions and requests for additions, which we worked on in between editing the rest of the document. I had never worked so hard on something…or felt so satisfied with the results. By the end of the week, we had 120 pages, fully written, edited and revised as per Chris and the studio's request, and the screenplay was already well on its way. Chris was overwhelmed with our progress.

Chris has given me the week to work with Kim, while they focused on shooting scenes I wasn't involved in, but I knew, starting next week, I would be back in front of the camera. I also knew that filming with the rest of the cast was wrapping up. We had completed most the scenes that included the Cullen family… Due to our new storyline, the rest of the Cullens would be around for another week to film the family scenes with me, but I could feel things were winding down.

"Hey guys, we need to do something – to celebrate." Ashley announced at lunch on Friday

"Celebrate what" I asked. After the first day we had returned to enjoying lunch break with everyone else. Neither of us we capable of keeping up the kind of work pace we had on Monday for long.

"Our fan fiction writers saving the day," Ashley grinned.

"Ya!" Kellan laughed.

"We'll throw you the party" Nikki said.

"You don't need to do that." Kim objected.

"Yes we do – you've given us more work! All our contracts just went up!" Kellan laughed.

"Besides, saving the movie." Nikki added.

"I hardly think we _saved_ the movie. They would have figured things out." I pointed out. They really were going overboard here.

"Rob, we need a party – just go with it," Peter advised softly.

"Fine, then – throw your little party." I smirked with a dismissive wave.

Friday came… Chris sent off the final pages of our story to the screenwriters who would finish translating it into a screen play, likely over the weekend. We were done. It had been an incredibly intense week.

"Well, it has been fun working with you" Kim said as we gathered up our notes and documents, organizing them for future reference if need be.

"Aren't you coming to the party?" I asked.

"Of course, but I just wanted to say, you know, before all the loud music and craziness starts."

"Well, it has been fun working with you, too – maybe we'll do it again sometime."

"Sure – I have a couple of fan fics I'm behind on... maybe we could work on those." She smiled.

"I know what you mean – I haven't touched Hogwarts in days."

"You'd better get on that, or people will start sending you flaming comments and nasty emails."

I laughed.

"Well, I'm going home and get cleaned up for tonight. We're back here, right?" She asked, "Later?"

"Yes, they're bringing the party back here."

"Don't you guys get tired of this place?"

"Umm, not really – in fact, I prefer it to going out. At least I know whose going to be there – I don't have to be polite by drinking a gallon of free drinks and waking up with a hang over."

"I guess" She had a puzzled expression on her face as if she was missing the inside joke.

"So are you back at work next week?"

"No, I'm going to hang around. Chris wants me to help him check over the rest of the screen play as it comes in – to work with any adjustments… plus then I'll get to see some actual filming. That'll be cool."

"Great, well see you later."

"Yep"

I went home to shower and change before the party. After sitting in the same room all week, I felt a little stale and stiff… I was used to moving around on set, not sitting at a table. While I got ready I clicked on the radio. It must have already been tuned to the local radio station because at the hour I heard the news:

"And in entertainment news this week, it seems the actors from Twilight made an appearance at a local coffee shop. They approached one of the customers, who was obviously a Twilight fan and introduced themselves before escorting her out of the café. Our on location reporter has the story…"

"Yes, I am here with Brad McKenzie, a student at UBC, who was in the coffee shop on Monday morning when this all happened. Adam, can you tell me what you saw?

"I was drinking my coffee and doing some reading for school, when a man came in. At first I didn't recognize him, but he was acting strangely, hiding something behind his newspaper. Then Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart came in. Robert went and introduced himself to the lady, while Kristen snapped photos. The other man, who I now recognize as Chris Weitz, was filming the entire thing."

"What do you think this was about?"

"I don't know. I wondered if it was some sort of punked episode or fan ambush prank, but then they spoke quietly and the lady left the coffee shop with them."

"Well that certainly is a mystery. Did you get a picture of this?"

"Yes, I took a photo with my cell phone. I was busy so I didn't call anyone about it until yesterday and then a few people didn't believe me…"

"Well, I can see the photo right now on your camera and it looks to me like you are right. So Twilight fans out there – be on the look out – it seems our favourite Vampires are out for fresh blood and you might be next."

I groaned at the report. Now people are going to be more crazy then ever. I thought after we hadn't heard anything for a couple days, the customer in the coffee shop must have just kept it to themselves.

Just then, the phone rang. "Rob?" I heard Kim's voice, she sounded slightly panicked.

"Yes – Hi Kim… Did you hear the radio just now?" I guessed at the source.

"Uh, no, but I saw it on the news on the television – and there is a guy in a van parked outside my apartment. It looks like a media van…"

"Stay inside, I'll call Chris and see if he has any ideas."

"Thanks"

I hung up and called Chris, "Hi Chris"

"Hi Rob, I assume you've seen the news?"

"I just heard it – I also got a call from Kim. It looks like someone recognized her from the photo. There is a media van parked out side her house."

"Oh Crap! This isn't how we wanted this to be released. Tell her to stay in her apartment. I'll have someone come get her. No, wait, I'll call her myself. We wanted to do something about this in the press, but not until we were sure about what you guys were going to be able to produce – and closer to the movie release date… We would have liked to make sure she was adequately prepared for the media attention."

"Okay, see you later."

I headed over to the studio for the party then, but as I neared, I saw a swarm of media vans. "Get out of here." I ordered the driver. Clearly there was a story here and the media wanted in on it. So much for good old Canadian politeness… Then I noticed, this was more then just the Canadian press. There were vehicles from several American networks. How did they get up here so fast? Then it dawned on me. The guy on the news didn't just wait for a couple days because he was busy – he was shopping out his story to the highest bidder. I am guessing the radio bit was only an afterthought…

My phone rang again, "Robert, it's Kristen."

"Hey"

"It looks like the party is off for tonight." She sounded disappointed.

"So I noticed – We just left the media mess."

"Let's meet up at my place. I'll call the girls, you call the guys – and let Chris know, k?"

"All right, see you later."

I quickly called Peter, Kellan, Jackson and Chris to let them in on the change in plans, after successfully ducking the press vans.

About forty-five minutes later we were all sitting in Kristen's living room.

"Well, this isn't exactly what we had planned for tonight, but at least we are together!" Ashley said brightly.

"Sure" Kellan looked a little dejected… word was that he was going to tend bar for the first part of the night and was looking forward to the opportunity to show off some moves.

"Well, I'm not going to stay long and spoil your fun," Chris said, "I just want to make sure we are all clear on what we are doing with the press, as I am sure there will be some pressure on this weekend."

We all nodded, understanding that the studio very much wanted to ensure the information was released so that is spun in the most positive light.

"Until next week, if anyone asks you about what happened, everyone but Rob and Kristen are just to say, they were not there and they do not know what happened at the coffee shop. Rob and Kristen, when you are called, and you will be, I'm sure, you are to say that there will be information coming in the next week and that any media questions should be directed to the studio. That should whet their appetites for the story and give us time to prepare it."

We all nodded some more. We had our fair share of media events and handling pushy reporters. They wouldn't like that answer, but we knew how to play our roles. It was part of the job.

Chris turned then and looked at Kim, "Kim, this is all very new to you, I'm sure. You will have a million messages on your voice mail and people will hound you all weekend. You were very recognizable on the picture, on top of the fact that you were at a coffee shop you frequent."

She nodded bleakly, "Yes, I go there all the time. The server that day recognized me, we often chat while I am waiting for my order. She would know who I am."

"That's what I thought. Is there somewhere you can go for the weekend? Somewhere you won't be tracked down. It might be easier then trying to handle the attention. By Monday we'll have a press release and communication plan."

"I have a few friends in town. I suppose I could call one of them." She said thoughtfully

"You can stay with me!" Ashley perked up then.

"Are you sure, Ashley? You would have to put up with me for an entire weekend… I don't think I'll be going out much." Kim replied.

"Not a problem – I don't think many of us will be going out this weekend – maybe we can just have a weekend in – all of us!" Ashley exclaimed excitedly.

"Ashley, are you seriously pumped about staying in all weekend – no clubs, no bars, no excitement?" Nikki teased her.

"We'll bring the fun here!" She replied with a quick grin.

"Well it looks like you have a plan." Chris said, gathering up his belongings to leave. "What about clothes – do you need us to send a messenger to get anything from your apartment?"

"That would be great… I am sure I won't fit anything these ladies wear!" she laughed, looking around at my impossibly thin co-stars… "Here, let me make a quick list" she scribbled madly, "Here's my keys."

"Great Kim, I'll have Tanya bring everything up to you at Ashley's apartment. See you guys on Monday. Take it easy, you worked hard this week." He said as he walked out the door.

I wondered just how easy we would be able to take it. Someone was sure to let slip where we were staying. So much for our quiet shoot in Vancouver…

"So, guys, what's the plan for this weekend?" Nikki asked.

"Well, I am fine with hosting tonight. We can order in and watch movies or something…" Kristen said. Everyone was fine with that, but in contrast to the planned high energy party, it was a little less then exciting. There was a noted downturn in most of the faces around the room.

"Hey, you guys, have you ever done a music party?" Kim asked.

"What is that?" Jackson's interest peeked.

"Well, we used to do it in University – when we had no money to go out. We'd go to someone's place and hang out, but you had to bring something musical to share – either a couple of favourite songs on a CD, or for my more musical friends, they would actually bring their guitar or something and share… It was kind of fun, 'cause people would make an effort to introduce you to something they really liked, but you might not have heard before… and some of them would actually bring songs they'd written. Usually by the end of the night, after a few drinks, we were all singing old tunes we all knew." She looked around at us, initially excited, but then somewhat hesitant…

"That sounds GREAT!" Kellan boomed. "I'll go get some tunes right now." He bolted for the door, as we laughed.

"Actually, that does sound like a lot of fun," Nikki agreed, "Why don't we go get what we need and return in, say, half an hour… Who is going to order food?"

"I will" Kristen said, "How about oriental tonight."

"Sounds good – no MSG though," Elizabeth replied, "It makes me blotchy" she said apologetically.

"And Rob – you better grab your guitar" Jackson looked over at me.

"You know, he plays," Nikki advised Kim.

"I think I heard that somewhere," Kim laughed. I supposed she likely had.

We reconvened for an evening of sharing and laugher. Kellan introduced us to some new techno tunes – ones that it didn't look like many of us would be going out and buying any time soon, except maybe Ashley. Jackson had some new indie rock tunes. Kristen had discovered an up and coming Aboriginal Canadian artist named Leela Gilday… she played a few selections from one of her CDs pointing out how they could possibly fit into New Moon or Eclipse.

"You should play those for Chris. He might like them. She is really good – I love the soulfulness in her voice." I told her.

"Ya, she is really good – and her songs are all so different. I like how she blends in folk with her aboriginal ancestry." Nikki commented as she listened to a Dene Love Song.

At one point in the evening, Jackson turned to me and said, "So Robert, are you going to share any of your new creations with us?"

"None of them are really ready yet," I deferred, knowing I wasn't going to get out of this.

"Who cares, play them anyway," Kristen encouraged.

"I'm sure they will be great" Peter piped in.

"Okay" I started a new one I had been working on. It wasn't really done… but it was a complete song. There was just something missing. I played through the first verse and chorus. When I hit the second verse I suddenly heard another voice join in, picking out an amazing alto harmony. I often close my eyes while I play, so I quickly opened them to see Kim singing along – her eyes also closed.

After I was done, there was stunned silence. "Wow, that was really nice." Elizabeth said with feeling.

"I agree," I said suddenly, "Kim, that was… amazing – I have been looking for something for that song, and what you sang was perfect."

She suddenly blushed. "Thanks – not bad for an accountant, eh?"

As Kim had suggested, after we had shared music, laughter and a few beverages, we ended up calling out old radio songs most of us knew, or at least sort of knew. I would try, sometimes feebly, to pick out the chords on the guitar, while everyone tried to remember the words to the verses. More often then not we would end up singing a few words with some humming in between and then all join in with gusto on the choruses. It was one of the best nights we had enjoyed as a group.

"Thanks for the suggestion, Kim." Kellan said to her, "That really was a lot of fun"

"Thanks, Kellan" Kim replied looking up at him with a grin – "who would have thought you'd be a tenor."

"Hey – that wasn't me" he countered with false offense, "it was Jackson with the lovely male falsetto." He laughed.

"So, what is the plan for tomorrow?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well, I'm planning to sleep in," Nikki replied, "But I'm game from about 11:00 on…"

"This place has a pool… and the few times I've been down there, it hasn't been that busy…" Elizabeth suggested.

"Okay, pool party it is," Peter agreed.

Kim groaned, "You mean, I'm going to have to hang around with all of you in my swim suit? Talk about serious hit on a girl's self esteem."

"You better believe it." Kristen said, "Don't worry about it."

"Easy for you to say." She barbed back…

"Well, we'd better get you settled," Ashley tugged on Kim's sleeve and they headed out, followed by Nikki.

"I'd better get going too – it's getting late." Jackson rose, and Peter followed him out.

Elizabeth, Kellan and I helped Kristen finish cleaning up and headed off ourselves.

On the way out the door, Kellan said, "Hey, Rob – I'm glad you brought Kim in on this project. She's really great."

"Yes – she really fit right in, didn't she – and everyone has been so great about making her feel welcome."

"'till tomorrow." Kellan said as he walked down to his room.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Press Release

The amazing time we had on Friday night continued throughout the weekend. As predicted, the pool was actually pretty quiet so we made arrangements with the front desk to lock the door and have it to ourselves. Despite Kim's initial misgivings, once she was in the water, splashing Kellan and Jackson and doing underwater handstands with Kristen and Nikki, she relaxed. Peter proved to be the best at cannon balls (though Kellan disagreed with the rest of our assessment), and by the time we were done, the towels and pull on clothes we had brought with us were soaked.

After the day of running around the pool, everyone was ready for a quiet night. Nikki had the best collection of movies with her, so we went back to her apartment for another movie night.

"Ohhh, Into the Wild," Kim said excitedly, looking over Nikki's collection, "I love this movie – can we watch this?"

Nikki and Ashley exchanged a look and shook their head, "Umm, it is one of Kristen's movies." Ashley tried to explain, "It's a little weird."

"Oh, right… I guess I never would have thought of that." Kim said a little dejected.

"No problem. I suggested it the first time we wanted to watch movies," Nikki said laughing.

Jackson stepped up then and looked over the collection. "How about this one?" He held up just out of my sight.

I looked over his shoulder, it was a copy of The Goblet of Fire, "I don't think so."

"What, don't you need to do a little research? You're falling behind on your fan fiction… Your fans are getting restless you know." He teased.

He was right. I had a few flaming messages wondering when the next post was going to be. I had just been too busy with the New Moon project to find the time to work on it and, after writing all day long, my imagination was burned out. "I'll get back to it this week."

He put the movie back and looked some more – "hey, this is one of my favourites" he said as he pulled out Sideways.

"That one is great. I love the scene where Sandra Oh beats the crap out of that guy… she just keeps coming back and back at him. I laughed so hard when I watched that at the theatre." Kim added.

So we settled on Sideways for the night. By the end of the movie we were all a little droopy from the activity of the day and the requisite wine that Nikki insisted we must drink to go along with the movie.

On Sunday we all got a call to meet up with Chris. Again, we stayed in the hotel to be sure to avoid the press as much as we could. This time we gathered in my room, as I had offered, for Chris to go over the communication plan to deal with the press.

"Okay, we have developed a press release. Here is a copy for your information," he handed out copies to all of us while he continued speaking, "We have also arranged for interviews with a few of the more reputable entertainment shows. Kim, we would very much like you to be a part of this if you are willing. It would do a lot to help promote the movie. We have some people who can work with you on how to deal with the press both during an interview and after."

"Sure, Chris, I'm just glad to be a part of all this. It is a little overwhelming, but I am sure it will be fine." Kim confirmed, though she seemed hesitant.

"And we can help you too." Ashley said, squeezing her hand, as the rest of us murmured confirmation of the same.

"Thanks guys…"

"We will hit first with the press conference, followed up by the interviews on various shows this week. By the end of the week, the formal part should be over, though you might continue to get calls. Is there anyone you need to call before this all gets out?"

"I actually already called my parents after I heard the news on Friday, so they are aware, and my brother… I didn't want them to be caught off guard if a reporter called them or something. I suppose I should call my work and give them the heads up as well as my close friends."

"That would be fine. Make sure you call them tonight, but be sure to ask them to not speak to anyone about it."

"Sure. Thanks."

Monday was the day of the press conference. Chris got up to speak at a podium of microphones. One of the studio execs who had flown up for the media event, stood just off to one side. Kim, Kirsten and I were standing off to the other side, waiting for the Q&A. Chris had assured us, mostly Kim, that this would go quickly and he would only allow a few questions before breaking it off.

After Chris had read the prepared press release, he opened it up for questions.

"Robert – in Twilight you provided music, in New Moon it looks like you are doing some writing, what are your plans for Eclipse? Should we expect to see you behind the camera?"

"No" I replied, "This just happened – it was all a little nuts, just happened you know. I'm just glad we were able to help." I said. What was that? I wondered. It didn't matter how many of these I did, I never felt comfortable and it always seemed I was saying something really stupid.

"Kristen – what did you think about Rob getting into fan fiction?"

"Oh, you know – Rob is so good at everything, it was only a matter of time until he got into writing. I'm not surprised." She said as she ran her hand through her hair, entirely blasé. She always seemed so cool in front of the press.

"Kim – how did you feel when you saw Robert and Kristen there at the coffee shop?"

"Ummm" she looked a little green. Then I saw her take a deep breath, "At first I thought someone was playing a joke on me. I was expecting the person I had met on the fan fiction site who I thought was a woman… Then there was this guy standing there. I didn't recognize him for a second. Then, when I did, I was in shock."

"So are you saying the miss-represented himself on the fan fiction site?"

I stiffened up as a reporter from the back jumped in, clearly looking for an unflattering angle.

"Oh, no, not at all. We all use screen names – I just assumed." Kim straightened up and answered clearly.

"Robert and Kristen – does the entire cast read fan fiction, or this just a phenomenon with Robert?"

"Robert and I both read fan fiction" Kristen answered, "I can't respond on behalf of the rest of the cast."

"Robert – have you always written fan fiction?"

"No, I only recently tried writing. I thought it would be an interesting way to research my character – to get more into his head, if you will." Why did I start sounding so much more formal during these things?

"Kim – there are some pretty graphic fan fiction pieces out there – is that the kind of fan fiction you write and, if so, have you been able to complete your fantasy by meeting Rob?" It was the same reporter from the back row who'd jumped the cue again.

I saw her face turn a particularly strong shade of red. When she spoke it was slow and mechanical, as if she was trying to make sure it was very clear. "I primarily rewrite segments of the book from Edward's Point of View. Everything I do I keep strictly to a PG-13 limit, so nothing I write is graphic. The only fantasy I have been able to complete is being able to contribute to the movie and meet these fabulous actors." Her eyes flashed with anger as she glared back at the reporter.

Chris jumped up then, sensing that the questions were starting to get out of hand. "That is all the time we have for today. Thank you for coming." He quickly gathered us up and we left the podium and got back to the studio as quickly as possible.

"Well that went reasonably well" Chris said.

"I feel like throwing up." Kim replied.

"You'll get used to it," I told her, "That is how I felt the first time – don't worry, you did really well."

"What was with those questions? Especially that last one?" she asked frustrated, shaking her head.

"That is what they do." Kristen sighed as we entered the studio.

The rest of the week was a whirlwind. I was back shooting scenes while Kim helped Chris with the screen play of the section we had written. At night, we had various interviews, some requiring us to fly down to LA and back in a night. By the following weekend, I was exhausted. I could see that Kirsten and Kim were as well, but the press had loved the story and, in the end, the general consensus was the press coverage was good for the movie. Chris had already hinted at a special feature on the DVD with Kim's ambush.

Friday also marked the departure of the rest of the Cullen's as we wrapped up the last of the additional scenes with the entire family. Kim was free to return to her regular work unless called back now and then. Her workplace had been amazing supportive of her over the past two weeks, but she said she had a mountain of accounting software work to get back to. I couldn't quite picture her sitting behind a computer screen all day. It sounded too dull and tedious for her, but she was relieved to get out of the media spot light.

As Chris called the end of the day, Ashley and Nikki ran out of the room returning with some bottles.

"We need to celebrate! We didn't get to have our party last week, but we had picked up some bottles of champagne, so we figured we would have a toast to parting ways." Nikki said.

They poured the champagne.

"To great friends" Peter said

"To amazing co-workers, I'll really miss you guys." Nikki added, squeezing Kristin with her free arm.

"To music parties." Elizabeth cheered, smiling warming at Kim.

"To an amazing team of fan fiction writers," Chris said.

"To having an AWESOME TIME!" Kellan boomed.

"To fun! And an amazing movie" Ashley added.

"To coming back for two more movies." Kristen exclaimed to cheers.

"To meeting new people." Kim grinned.

"And new experiences." I added

We toasted and said our good-byes.


	26. Chapter 26

**Actors Hooked on Fan Fiction**

(Fictional Story not intended to be represent the actual lives of the Actors portrayed)

Chapter 26: Premier

I always hated getting ready for these things… all the fuss and the effort. Then putting on the show, walking down the red carpet, saying the same thing over and over to different reporters, having my sound bites ready… I sighed. The one thing I was really looking forward to was seeing how New Moon turned out in the final cut, especially the story that Kim and I had written.

I was able to convince my agent, who has said something about being 'seen' with other stars, to allow me to bring Kim as my escort. I didn't have anyone else to bring other then my mum, and she would be coming anyway. The press attention surrounding Kim had died down, so she didn't have to be there for the studio, but I thought she would want to see what she had been a part of for herself. I smiled as I remembered the phone call.

"Hey Kim, this is Edward_pays_the_Rent" I said as I called her on the phone.

She laughed, "Hi Rob – do you have any more fan fiction you need help on?"

"Actually, I have a press event I need your help with."

I heard a groan on the other end of the line, "You've got to be kidding – are you serious? Why isn't Chris or one of the studio execs calling then?"

"Well, this isn't for the studio. This is for me. I was wondering if you would come to the premier with me?"

"What, are you serious? Wait a minute – do I have to dress up?"

"Wearing clothes is typical…but do whatever you want." I teased back.

"What will you be wearing?"

"A tux"

I heard another groan. "Okay, Rob… I'll figure it out. When and where?"

We were picking her up in my limo, but had arranged for her to meet me inside the theatre. She didn't really want to be a part of the red carpet scene, and she didn't have to be, so I spared her that much.

After surviving the walk down the red carpet, I met up with her inside.

"So are you ready?"

"I am totally pumped… I get to see this before any of my friends… It will be interesting to see how the story we wrote turns out." She said, her eye's shining with excitement.

"Well, let's find our seats."

It is always a little strange watching yourself on screen, seeing your own performance. I find myself picking out flaws, parts where I could have been more in character, or where I messed up a line. But what I found most interesting was watching the scenes where we had written Edward's story. There was something much more satisfying watching the end result of something I had been a part of from the beginning. I really felt that I had done a better job acting during those scenes as a result of the process Kim and I had gone through.

I looked over at her as we watched Edward slump into depression, week by week, day by day, hour by hour, as she had suggested. It was very moving. I could see her eyes tear up and run down her cheeks.

"Oh… Wow!" she whispered, amazed. "You really brought that to life, Rob"

As the final credits rolled, I knew it was good – even better then Twilight. I knew our fans would be happy with the results, but more then that, I was proud of what we had accomplished.

At the after party, we got to reconnect with the rest of the Cullen cast. However, it seemed that most of us had kept in contact over the months. I chucked to myself realizing that, for the most part, it was through emails and comments left on the fan fiction site.

"Hello Ashley, what have you been up to?" I greeted her.

"Aside from movie premieres and interviews? Well, I've finished up the fan fiction I was working on – Bella and Alice ended up as haute couture fashion designers."

I laughed, "Yes, I read that. Good job, by the way."

"Thanks – so what did you think of the film?" she asked.

"I thought it was brilliant. It was very satisfying to watch." I replied.

"I think so too! You know, I think I connected even better with Alice. I am so glad you guys wrote those extra scenes. It really made the movie come together."

"Ya, Rob," Kellan said as we walked up, "So, did I see Kim around here?"

"Yes, I think she got caught up in a conversation with Chris." I looked around, spotting her across the room. "I'll go rescue her." I laughed.

As I approached, I heard the tail end of their conversation.

"Kim, the studio is really pleased with how the additional storyline turned out. You have a real talent, and you seem to bring out the best in others. Do you mind if I pass your name on?"

"Well" I could see she was embarrassed as she shuffled her feet slightly, "I guess. I think this worked out just because I love the story so much, but it was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed working with Rob – he's the real talent. I just kept him organized."

She was humble, but she didn't need to be, "Kim, you don't give yourself enough credit." I butted in, "You have a real talent – not just writing, but the ability to pull it all together. Chris, did you know she sings as well?" I pushed her further into self-conscious embarrassment, "She picked out some amazing harmonies for some of my songs." We had collaborated on a few more since our music night, and initial response was that they were much better then what I had written on my own.

"Really?" Chris commented, mentally making a note.

"She just seems to have a knack for finding what is missing and filling it in." I commented. "Speaking of which, our little group over there was thinking that you are missing and you need to fill in" I chuckled.

"We'll talk later," Chris said to her as we departed, handing her his business card.

"KIM!" Kellan bounded up, wrapping his arms around her and swinging her around once.

"Whoa! You'll put your back out…" She laughed back, "I'm not like these Hollywood starlets you're used to throwing around."

"Kim, I am so glad you came" Ashley attacked her after Kellan let her down.

"Thanks, it has been a couple weeks, hasn't it?" She responded.

"A couple weeks?" I asked.

"Ashley came up and visited back in October. We had a girl's weekend." Kim smiled.

I shook my head. It seemed like she had filled in some gaps in more then just my music. To think, none of us would have met her if not for the fan fiction site, I marvelled.

"So where's everyone else" Kim asked looking around.

"Right here," Kristen announced, with Nikki and Elizabeth on tow. "I've got to say, Rob, the movie is really good. It just seems so much more connected then Twilight. I think it is because of what you and Kim did…" she glowed with excitement.

"Thank you, Kristen. It was really a lot of fun." I really meant it.

Jackson and Peter walked up then. We were all back together – a group of friends. I thought back to why we had come together… It was that day when we found our common love for fan fiction. Hmmm, interesting.

"So, we'll all be back together in a month or so – getting ready for Eclipse." Peter noted as he basked in the shared warmth of our friendship.

"Ya," Nikki agreed, "I am really looking forward to it. So, Rob, what are you going to do this time?" she teased.

"I think I'll just act. That should be enough… but I've already started doing some 'research'" I chuckled.

Jackson smiled, "Well, did you catch my contribution to the body of imagination?"

"Body of imagination – that is an interesting phrase…" I commented.

"Well, I thought of that one day…It is like Stephenie created this imaginary world, and we just get to add to it, in some small way, when we write." He explained… that was actually very perceptive.

"I suppose that is why we do it… to become a part of it…" I mused.

Then it struck me… the intimacy of our friendship, the greatness of the movie, the connection we all felt to Stephenie's world, and not just us, but all the other fans… the addition of Kim to our lives… it all started with a little fan fiction… Who would have thought?

The End

4

By Erica K. Bailey.


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